Jordan's Journey
by Dr. Magic PhD
Summary: Episode 11 in the Complete Series: A mysterious stranger appears in the brothers' house unannounced and runs away before they can deal with him. What's his intention?
1. Despair

Atlanta, once the proud southern capital in northwestern Georgia, a city full of vigor and resilience, now stood at its bare minimum. Where towering skyscrapers and prominent businesses once graced the land, large masses of ashes and debris now lay in their place. Smoke from all of the recent destruction still floated ominously around the entire city as a testament to the balance of power having shifted drastically.

Gusts of wind drifted through the destroyed city, silent yet carrying voices that cried out in pain and agony. The land of the living had become the land of the dead. Bodies littered the streets like common trash. Those who managed to survive dared not make themselves known, instead going into hiding, not knowing to whom to turn, or where to go, or what to do. Wild dogs fought each other for their next meals. Fires burned in what remained of cars and trucks.

A figure glided through the streets, drawing attention from those who managed to live. Wearing a long crimson cloak made of fur that brushed the ground, the figure made its way to its destination. Stalking silently down Eaton Avenue, the being approached the imposing house numbered 935…

Smoke billowed through the wrecked house, a house that was once home to many generations. The being grinned slightly at everything it had accomplished, but remained focused on the task at hand; now that the Complete no longer existed to pose a threat, obtaining the legendary Book of Light was the only thing left to do. Gracefully crossing over the singed lawn, the figure entered the house, effortlessly kicking in the front door. Avoiding debris that continued to fall, the figure went to the door that led to the basement, the place where the Book of Light was sure to be.

Trembling and barely able to stand, Jordan White watched the monster enter his family's demolished home. Sarah Walker, once the love of his life and fiancé, had destroyed everything he held dear to his heart. The White family was known among all those magical as the protectors of the innocent, keeping evil at bay for generations. The White family had produced the three most powerful good witches in history. James, Matthew, and Wesley, better known as the Complete, were prophesized centuries ago to "free the world from all evil," but prophecy had gone wrong somewhere when Sarah succeeded in killing them all. Even with all the power they possessed, in the end it was not enough to stop Sarah's unique kind.

Choking on the smoke, Jordan approached the house, trying his best not to cry. He, along with his parents, uncles, siblings, and cousins, had been helpless when their world turned upside down. He tried to push the horrible images from his mind, but could not help recalling them with every breath he took. He felt an unbearable wave of guilt sweep over him, knowing that he certainly did not deserve to live when all of his family had been killed right in front of him. Whether or not it was genuine, he knew that it was only the relationship he had with Sarah that kept him from suffering the same fate.

He had spent the past few hours hiding in the shadows, reciting every spell he could recall from memory and even creating new ones, but nothing he did was powerful enough to change the past events. At sixteen, he had not yet learned the extent of the vast power he was destined to possess. He looked up at the dark sky, filled with stars, and thought back to the nights when he and his father would stay outside and try to count all of the stars in the sky, while his mother would laugh quietly to herself. A loud bang that resounded from within the house snapped him back to attention as he regained his focus.

"Ahh!" he cried out as the impact of the apparent explosion forced him backwards a couple steps.

He ignored all the debris and headed inside, his one goal clear: to stop Sarah from getting the Book of Light at all costs.


	2. Going Back

_Hey, here's the second chapter of this story. I might have to take it down and repost it in case I have some minor changes to make, since I'm still writing on this story. But since I tend not to rewrite what I write in the first place, I doubt it'll happen, but just as a heads up!_

_**chyp: **So we were born on the same day, huh? We're like best friends now. I bet you're pretty cool to hang out with._

* * *

Inside the basement, Sarah picked herself up from the floor, obviously frustrated. She threw her cloak to the side, revealing a stunning "red devil" dress. Backless and highlighted with sequins, the form-fitting outfit simultaneously accentuated her cleavage and legs, stopping just above the knee. She stood on what appeared to be at least three inch high stilettos, the same shade of red as her dress. She threw her long raven hair back as she re-groomed herself, her breathing more labored now. She once again approached the lone podium where the Book of Light lay, still untouched. With determination, Sarah raised her arms, summoning all of the power that resided within her. She concentrated deeply and slowly reached for the Book of Light again. A brilliant white orb of light flashed around the large tome, protecting it from her, but she persisted and slowly fought through the intense forcefield.

As Jordan reached the doorway to the basement, he saw the impossible; Sarah's hands inched further towards the sacred Book of Light. Although it was magically enchanted to repel evil, there she stood, so close to achieving the inconceivable. Before he could react, Jordan saw the white forcefield shatter like a glass sphere, leaving the oversized spellbook unprotected and open. Sarah heaved a sigh, producing a compact mirror from her bosom and examining her face. Conjuring a handkerchief from thin air, she quaintly dabbed the beads of sweat from her forehead, restoring the full beauty to her olive-skinned face.

"Finally," she said breathily, slowly picking up the prized Book.

"No!" Jordan shouted at the top of his lungs, startling Sarah. He bounded down the stairs two at a time.

"Jordan," Sarah said calmly, returning the Book of Light to the podium before turning to face him, "I did you a favor a let you live before. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here now."

"You killed my family!" Jordan spat back. "My mom, my dad, my uncles, my cousins, everybody!"

"Well, I _had_ to," she replied nonchalantly, pointing to her newest acquisition. "Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get _this_."

"What happened to the Sarah I fell in love with?" Jordan asked pleadingly. "Why would you want to do this? _How_ could you do this?"

"Listen honey," Sarah said, "I did love you. I suppose a part of me still does. But this is who I am. You knew that a long time ago. Now, for the last time, _go_."

"Not without the Book," Jordan responded, his eyes gleaming.

"You're sixteen," Sarah said. "You don't even have control over your powers, and even if you did it wouldn't help. But since you're obviously not gonna leave, and since you're so cute, I'll give you a handicap. You get three shots."

Jordan's eyes registered disbelief. Was this the same girl he had fallen in love with and wanted to marry? Jordan boldly, but timidly, walked up to Sarah, who stood in her place. He took her hand in his and looked directly into her dark brown eyes. For a long while he said nothing; his deep blue eyes did all the talking.

"Please," he begged.

"One," she said, staring darkly into his eyes.

Feelings of confusion tore through him, but he realized that this was worth more than the two of them. He needed to do this not only for himself, but for his family. He looked upwards and muttered a silent prayer as he summoned all the power he could. Taking a step forward, he thrust his fists forward in a punching motion. From each arm, colorless waves rippled through the air. They struck Sarah directly in the chest, knocking her backwards and slamming into a wall. She stood up and brushed the dust from her dress, impressed yet unamused with Jordan.

"Two," she simply stated.

He had given it everything he had, but from the looks of it, Sarah still stood unhurt for the most part. His mind raced through countless of possibilities of what to do next. He knew that he could not directly challenge Sarah; his most recent attempt proved that. All of his ideas, unfortunately, ended in the same manner: his death at the hands of his former girlfriend. He inhaled deeply, putting all of his hope in his powers. He grabbed the Book of Light and began to disappear in a shower of blue and white lights. Just as he was about to fade out of view, something powerful jerked him back into the room and he fell to the ground, dazed. He looked behind him and saw Sarah, still in the same place with her arm outstretched. His left shoulder ached terribly. He reached around with his right hand and felt nothing but blood and heat. He quickly pulled his hand back as remnants of the fireball Sarah had apparently thrown continued to singe his gray t-shirt.

"Three," Sarah said.

She reached out and let loose another fireball at Jordan. With no time to react, he grabbed the closest thing to him, the Book of Light, and used it as a shield. With its protection shattered, the Book burst into flames, sending pages flying in all directions. Jordan scooted backwards, away from Sarah, who was outraged.

"The Book!" she screamed. "That's it, Jordan. Now I'm pissed!"

A page gently fell onto his lap, one he had never seen before, yet one he never thought would bring him so much hope. He quickly launched an attack at Sarah with all of his remaining strength. The waves once again rippled through the air and struck her full force. As she dropped to the floor, he read the page carefully over and over again, making sure it was what he needed.

"_Hear my cries, hear my call,  
Magic forces part the wall.  
Into the past, send me then,  
To correct what should have been."_

A tiny white light appeared from nowhere, dropping down and surrounding the young boy. As the light grew in intensity, Sarah's screams pierced the air. She unleashed another fireball at Jordan, her eyes now as red as her dress. The flaming projectile struck him fully in the chest and he flew through the air. The white light still rotated around Jordan, but seemed to not be powerful enough to help. Suddenly, just before Jordan slammed into the staircase, three larger white lights appeared and claimed him, causing him to disappear into thin air and leave Sarah behind.


	3. Daily Life

_**chyp**: Thanx, as usual._

* * *

Matthew sat diligently in his room, critiquing his third rough draft. As an English major, he tended to try and perfect any type of writing assignment given to him. On the weekends, when his brothers were away doing whatever, he spent time studying and keeping up with his school work. Such days kept him calm and relaxed; they made him feel in his element. Without the distractions of James and Wesley, he was able to do just about anything.

He worked so hard on his assignments mainly because he enjoyed writing critical analyses on various topics. Furthermore, not only the weekends, but any quiet time allowed him to just keep up with the rest of his classmates, given his particular line of work. As one third of a trio of the world's most powerful witches, much of his time was devoted to fighting various forces of evil that threatened not only him and his brothers, but the rest of humanity as well.

The weather outside was brisk; Februarys tended to be that way in Atlanta. The sun stayed just behind the clouds, breaking through every now and then to shine a little light on an otherwise mundane weekend. A slight breeze permeated the air; leaves rustled and trees swayed every so gently. It was overall a nice winter day in Atlanta.

Matthew opened his second red pen; he had worn out the first one. As time passed his paper grew redder and redder as if he was using the paper to bandage a wound. His work was abruptly cut off by the telephone. He gave the receiver an annoyed look and answered it hesitantly.

"Hello?" Matthew said, recomposing himself.

"Hello yourself," the other end responded.

"Ariana," Matthew said, smiling. "You're a welcome break."

"From what?" she asked.

"I'm just here working on school stuff…_finally_," Matthew said, accentuating that last word.

"Finally?" Ariana asked, curious. "Isn't that what you're always doing?"

"Well, yeah," Matthew quickly lied, catching himself. "I meant, never mind. What's up with you?"

"I just got two tickets to the symphony for tonight," she announced. "Don't make me take a friend."

"The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra?" Matthew asked. "You mean the one that's sold out because Andrea Bocelli's gonna be there? How'd you get tickets to that?"

"I got connections," Ariana said slyly. "I take it you'd like to go, being the art connoisseur that I know you are?"

"I'd love to," Matthew said, "and why don't we have dinner around the area before, say around seven. It'll be the perfect evening out with the perfect girl."

"I wouldn't say perfect…" Ariana began before an awkward sounding click interrupted her.

"Sorry," Matthew said, "call waiting. Hold on for a minute. Hello?"

"Hey, you," a voice answered on the other side.

"Stephanie," Matthew said calmly, but feeling slightly apprehensive.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked.

"No," Matthew lied. "Now's perfect. How's my girl?"

* * *

"How's your book coming along?" James asked as he slammed the racquetball into the wall with a crushing blow. "Got any good ideas yet?"

"I keep trying," Wesley panted as he desperately dove for the coveted blue rubber ball. "Every time I come up with an idea, it turns out to be stupid."

"That's my brother," James said, cleverly aiming the ball into a corner where it would be most difficult to retrieve.

Wesley and James decided to spend this weekend – their weekends tended to be anything but free – enjoying a game of racquetball. Neither one of them was an expert by any means, but the two shared an athletic bond that they called 'sports stuff.' Wesley once explained it as being a time when they were both able to manage their competitive streaks as well as their brotherly bonds. He claimed that the two of them had had some of their best conversations over a game of something or other. While Wesley almost always lost, though, it never really mattered to him because he knew that there were more important things.

Aside from being college students, James and Wesley happened to be Matthew's brothers, and the remaining two-thirds of the Complete, known as the most powerful witches in history. Each brother possessed a certain unique power used to help them fight evil and keep the world safe from countless demons, warlocks, and other beings that threatened humanity on a regular basis. Since becoming witches merely 18 months ago, their lives had changed drastically from regular to anything but. Most of their time became dedicated to vanquishing demons or protecting innocent people or keeping their secret well hidden. They hardly had time for school anymore.

But now, the two played racquetball in the Emory University athletic building, known to all the students and faculty as Woodruff Hall. Inside were many eclectic facilities, ranging from racquetball courts to dance rooms to basketball gyms to even aerobics rooms. The best thing about Woodruff Hall was that it was free to all the students of any division of Emory University, even the forty mile away Oxford College students. James and Wesley's other brother, Matthew, also shared their love of sports, but of the three, Matthew proved to be the most balanced and level-headed, somehow always knowing when to work and when to play. Unfortunately, from his brothers' point of view, he spent too much time working and not enough playing.

"Funny," Wesley continued as he missed the ball completely. "My serve."

"Why don't you try writing about something you really know about," James suggested. "I'm sure you have a lot of ideas in that head of yours."

"That's the problem," Wesley claimed, gently serving the ball into the wall, "I have _too many_ ideas. I can't seem to put them in order."

"Well it's not like you're on a deadline," James said. "If you take your time, your ideas will come to you better. That's your problem; you always try to speed through things just to get them done."

"How do you know that?" Wesley asked, hitting the ball high up into the wall so that it bounced off the ceiling.

"I'm the oldest," James said, beaming. "I know everything."

"Funny," Wesley said, "usually you have this look like your brain's about to collapse in on itself. You must obviously be in a state of eternal enlightenment then."

"Funny," James quipped as he reached for the ball, but missed miserably, eliciting a laugh from Wesley. "_My_ serve."

Wesley noticed something different in James eyes the moment he announced that it was his turn to serve the ball. It was something he knew was coming, but never expected. Then again, this _was_ James, possibly the world's most competitively proud person. In their court, which was blocked from public viewing by opaque walls, anything was possible, and Wesley knew that quite well.

James raised the ball above his head and whacked it perfectly with his racquet, sending it careening toward the wall. Wesley watched it carefully, almost anticipating its next move. He suddenly took his racquet to the right, but changed to the left at the last possible minute. His anticipation paid off; the little blue ball had suddenly jolted from Wesley's right side to his left, as if some invisible force abruptly changed its direction. Wesley had played enough games with his oldest brother to know that sooner or later, magic would intertwine itself in with the game. With James' power of telekinesis, the ability to move things with his mind, Wesley knew that he was in for a rough game; James never let anyone stop until the game was over.

By changing sides at the last minute, Wesley managed to return the ball to the wall, but just barely. The result was a weak blow that lobbed the ball nicely toward the center of the wall, setting James up for a potential point. James dashed at the blue ball, throwing his weight behind the racquet as he prepared to win the point. Just before, though, the ball suddenly stopped in midair, throwing James off his balance and tumbling to the ground. The ball resumed moving and successfully landed on James' head.

"A miraculous comeback," Wesley joked, patting his brother on the head. "Let's get something to eat."

"No fair," James said, brushing himself off.

"It never is," Wesley said, holding the door for James, "especially when you're so predictable. Anyway, I'm hungry. Let's go."


	4. Daydreaming

_And just like magic, here's chapter number four!_

_**wild black fire: **Alright! It's good to see a new reviewer every now and then! It makes me feel like I'm doing something good, something useful, something important! Thanx for letting my writing brighten up your weekend!_

_**chyp: **And where would I be without the most loyal friend on here that I know?_

* * *

Sarah had shielded her eyes as the lights grew brighter in the room. When she regained focus, Jordan was nowhere to be seen, the three mysterious lights having claimed him. She carefully examined her surroundings. The remains of the Book of Light lay scattered around her as if a parade had just run through the basement. Scraps of paper covered the hardwood floor, while the cover of the Book had been blown to larger chunks. She picked up a remnant of the cover, an old dark blue piece of what felt like very hard parchment or cardboard with a felt lining. On it was part of the symbol of three intertwining circles that represented the power of the Complete.

She threw it down in disgust and leafed through the sea of confetti that was the remains of the spellbook. She only got pieces of pages, most with hardly one word written on them. With determination, she continued searching, knowing that whatever means Jordan had used to escape was still in the room.

* * *

"Bye," Matthew said, clicking the phone to the other line. "Talk to you later, bye."

He hung up the phone and heaved a sign of relief. He knew that dating two women at the same time was dangerous, but Ariana and Stephanie were both so attractive that he felt that he had to see both relationships through. Besides, he thought to himself, college _was_ a time to experiment, after all…

He had spent the better part of his life as a down to earth person, always taking responsibility for his actions. He helped to take care of his mother in Pennsylvania by working part-time in addition to his boxing training as well as his school activities. After meeting his brothers and suddenly shifting from an only child to the middle child, he had become even more level-headed and rational, especially since he now had the additional task of mediating between his older and younger brothers. The whole idea of two simultaneous relationships now occupied his mind completely for some reason. To him, it was a means of release and escape; he finally had something new that was forbidden and quite exciting which was all his.

His mind wandered through the many possibilities of this secret "thing" he had. The task of keeping both women in the dark from each other seemed somewhat exciting and even mildly titillating to him. He closed his eyes and began daydreaming. He imagined himself, sitting in a large wicker recliner and wearing a t-shirt and shorts. On one side of him, Stephanie fed him grapes, while on the other side Ariana gently stroked his hair. Matthew sighed in ecstasy, completely indulging himself in this cliché fantasy.

"That's it, baby," he said in a soft voice to Ariana, who smiled in return.

"Anything for you," Stephanie said, holding his chin with one hand while sliding a grape into his mouth with the other.

"This is the life," he said to no one in particular.

"Matt," Ariana said in a peculiar tone, "is this how you usually do your English papers?"

"Huh?" Matthew asked lazily.

"Get up, bro," Stephanie said gruffly, becoming more forceful in her grape-feeding.

"What?" Matthew asked.

"Matt!" both women screamed at him, shocking him.

Matthew's daydream was cut short as Wesley and James surprised him. He was so wrapped up in his mind that he never noticed his brothers come in. He jerked back to reality and almost fell out of his chair as Wesley and James gave him a strange look.

"Um," Wesley asked uneasily, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," Matthew said, blinking his eyes more than usual. "Why wouldn't I be? I guess I just fell asleep and started dreaming. You guys back already?"

"Yeah," James said, smacking the back of Wesley's head. "Your little brother cheated during the game and I almost broke my wrist."

"Ow!" Wesley interjected, then pushed James away. "Well your big brother cheated first! He can't stand to see anybody other than himself win, so he has to resort to cheap tricks."

"I was just trying to make the game more interesting," James defended.

"Yeah, okay," Wesley responded, "and what about all the other times we've gone out playing something? Does everything have to be 'interesting' or are you just scared I'll beat you in something?"

"I already know I'm gonna beat you," James said. "I just try to make it more of a shutout."

"Didn't work today," Wesley said, beaming. "I beat you real good, unfair and un-square."

"That's the only way you can," James shot back with a sly grin.

"Okay guys," Matthew said, stepping in between his brothers. He knew that now they were just throwing words back and forth, but it could soon turn into something unnecessary. "That's enough of that for today."

"Fine," James and Wesley said together.

"Did you finish that paper?" James asked. "You've been working on it since we left, and that was hours ago."

"Not yet," Matthew answered. "I got caught up in something else and just lost track of time."

"What were you doing?" Wesley asked, sitting in Matthew's chair. "If you weren't gonna finish, you could've come to Emory with us."

"Next time," Matthew said.

"I should go study myself," James said, abruptly changing the subject.

"You?" Wesley asked in disbelief. "I've never seen you study on a Saturday afternoon before. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever seen you study at all. How did you make it to college?"

"If you'd let me finish my thought," James said forcefully, "I was going to say that I _should_ go study, but I think I'm gonna give Sam a call."

"I stand corrected," Wesley said, bowing lightly.

"You've been seeing her for some time now," Matthew said. "You're pretty serious about her, huh?"

"Maybe," James said.

"Well one thing's for sure," Wesley said. "She's a hell of a lot better than she who must not be named."

"Don't start," Matthew warned.

"I'm just saying," Wesley said, shrugging his shoulders and logging onto the internet.

"There's still something about her, though," James said, laying back on Matthew's bed. "I can't figure out what it is, but she's got some kind of secret. We'll be on a date or something, and all of a sudden she'll have to leave for some reason. It's strange."

"I'd say that's the pot calling the kettle black," Matthew said, "but I don't think her reasons for leaving are the same as ours."

"That's what makes women the way they are," Wesley said. "Most things they do are for no reason. Stephanie did mysterious stuff like that sometimes. Even the she-devil did it, right Jimmy?"

"I guess," James replied.

"Right," Wesley continued. "Matt, I bet your girl Kathleen did it too."

"A few times," Matthew said, having felt a twinge of guilt at Wesley's mention of Stephanie's name.

"Look at this," Wesley said, pointing to Matthew's computer screen. "There's a string of people going missing. So far there've been eleven guys who've just disappeared."

"You don't think it's…you know?" James suggested.

"Well it wouldn't have been if you hadn't suggested it," Wesley sighed. "It says that the police are doing the best they can, but are completely baffled."

"What else does it say?" Matthew asked.

"Not much," Wesley said, scrolling down the page. "None of them had anything in common. They were all completely different people. But all of the disappearances seemed to happen in the same area. Somewhere close to Lenox Mall."

"It could just be a crazy person then," Matthew guessed. "That doesn't sound supernatural, just weird. Besides, everything that happens can't possibly be tied to demons and warlocks."

At Matthew's mention of his last three words, an unfamiliar noise immediately put all three siblings on alert. Something sounded like a very loud bang, then a noticeable thud. The sound came from downstairs somewhere. Wesley gave his brothers a tired look and kept surfing the internet.

"Don't even try that," James said to Wesley, pulling him up by the shirt. "Let's go, quietly."


	5. An Unexpected Guest

_**chyp: **Thanx._

* * *

Matthew and Wesley followed James down the stairs, all three making extra care to be as quiet as possible. Wesley inadvertently bumped into Matthew as he tiptoed behind James.

"What is it?" he whispered, annoyed.

"I'm scared," Wesley answered back.

"Some hero you are," James said, not bothering to look back.

"Not now," Matthew cut in. "Let's focus, people!"

The three crept into the living room and found it empty. James and Matthew peeked into the kitchen, with Wesley following close behind. No one was in there. They moved to the dining room, but found it to be empty as well.

"Maybe we were just hearing things," Wesley said faintly. "There's nobody here."

"Could be a burglar," James said.

"In broad daylight?" Matthew countered. "Get real."

"Let's check the…" James began.

Another thud and a long groan cut James off mid-sentence as he and his brothers automatically turned to the source of the sound: the basement. Wesley whined to himself as he followed James and Matthew towards the door. James turned to his younger brothers and nodded. Their eye contact was enough to explain their course of action.

"Freeze," Wesley sighed.

"Hit," Matthew said.

"Move," James finished as he mouthed a countdown. "One…two…_three_!"

He waved his hand and the door of the basement flew open with excessive force. As they peered through the door, they were surprised to see not a demon or a warlock, but a young boy lying on the ground, just a few feet from the Book of Light.

"This is new," Matthew observed as James checked the boy's pulse. "Homeboy, go get the first-aid kit. He looks really banged up."

"He's still alive," James said as he and Matthew hoisted the unconscious boy up. "Let's get him to the living room."

A few minutes later, Wesley joined his brothers in the living room with a small box full of first-aid supplies. James and Matthew laid him on the couch. Matthew took off his shirt, or what remained of it. They all noticed a large dark red mark on his back.

"What is it?" Wesley asked.

"It looks like a burn mark," Matthew guessed. "Could be where his shirt was burned. There's a huge hole in the shirt."

"Fireball," James and Wesley concluded at the same time.

"I've never seen anything like this before, though," Matthew said, further examining the wound. "It's like he took the full force of it, if it _was_ a fireball."

"The question is," James said, "how did it happen?"

"And how did he get here?" Wesley added.

"He could've been after the Book," James said. "We'd better be careful."

"Who's he gonna hurt?" Wesley asked, pointing to the still unconscious person.

"Let's just focus on helping him," Matthew said.

Matthew took some ointment and gauze from the first-aid kit and began to treat the oversized wound while James held him steady. As Matthew wrapped the area, the boy groaned a little, a sign that he was slowly regaining consciousness. He gradually drifted back to life, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal his deep blue eyes. He looked at James with a confused expression on his face.

"D-d-d…" was all that the boy could say.

"You should save your strength," James advised. "You can take a nap here until you're strong enough to move on your own. My brother'll get you something to drink."

"Me?" Wesley asked innocently as James pointed at him. "You ain't my daddy! Why not Matt?"

"Don't start again," Matthew said, pushing Wesley in the direction of the kitchen. "Just go."

James was about to say something else, but noticed the boy's body go limp again. He slipped back into unconsciousness. James propped his head onto a pillow joined Matthew, who stood halfway between the couch where the boy lay and the swinging kitchen door.

"What do you think he was trying to say?" James asked Matthew.

"I don't know," Matthew answered. "He's really hurt, though. I think he came to us for help."

"Who would do something like this to him?" James asked. "From the looks of it, he just barely made it out alive."

"Alright," Wesley announced, emerging from the kitchen, "I have orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, prune juice, I don't know who bought it and how it slipped in, but I guess you need something when nature calls and you don't pick up…"

"Forget the juices," Matthew said, directing Wesley's eyes to the boy. "He's out again."

"Damn," Wesley said. "Any news on the situation?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," James said. "Matt doesn't think he's a threat, that he's here because he needs our help."

"I'd agree with that," Wesley said. "I don't think any demon would take it this far. They seem too proud. So, where do we go from here?"

"We have to wait until he wakes up," James said. "He seems pretty young, though. Tough break."

"I'd guess about fifteen or sixteen," Wesley said.

"Let's go look in the Book," James suggested. "We might get some kind of clue about what's going on."

"Jimmy," Wesley said, "we can't start from scratch like this. If he got hurt from a fireball, that doesn't even narrow down the search at all. Any basic demon can do fireballs. The best thing for us to do is let him rest and just wait until he's up, like you said. I'm gonna go write."

"He's right," Matthew said as the phone rang. "I'll get it."

James looked back at the sleeping boy, noticing something strangely familiar about him. He couldn't quite place the suspicion, but he felt as though he knew this boy, or at least should know him. His nagging suspicions were put on hold as the doorbell sounded.

"I got it," he yelled, heading for the door.

He opened the door halfway and Sam stood on the other side, smiling politely. He quickly glanced back at the passed out boy on the couch and a worried look crossed his face. He compensated the situation by hurriedly stepping outside and closing the door behind him, replacing the look of worry with an oversized smile and an awkward chuckle.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she answered. "I was in the area and decided to stop by. You're not busy, are you?"

"Me? Busy?" James asked, letting loose a loud laugh. "Not really. You know, just the usual weekend stuff."

"Oh," Sam said. "It just seemed like I caught you in the middle of something."

"No," James said, "it's just my…my cousin's just come to town out of the blue without telling anybody, that's all."

He felt very ill at ease trying to weave a lie with Sam. Over the past few months, he and Sam had begun a relationship that actually started with a heated argument at the power company where she worked. Now, their status had changed into a more or less stable dating relationship. James enjoyed what he had with her; it was probably the most normal thing he had in his life anymore. With the constant barrage of demons and the constant bickering with his brothers, nothing seemed normal anymore. At the very least, he just wanted an honest and open relationship with someone. Lying did nothing to help his desire for that.

"That's a big surprise, huh?" Sam said, laughing. "I hope you two are close, otherwise I'd probably be upset, too!"

"We've got it under control," James said. "He's…sleeping…in the living room. That's why I came out here."

"Oh," Sam said. "Sorry about that. Oh, I wanted to tell you that I got two tickets to the symphony tonight. Wanna go?"

"The symphony?" James asked uneasily. "You know how I feel about that kind of stuff."

"Well a friend of mine got them for me," Sam said. "I don't wanna go with anybody else."

"Since you went to all the trouble," James said, "I guess I can put up with it for one night."

"It'll be so much fun!" Sam cried. "Let's meet there at seven. You'll love it!"

"I'm sure I will," James said dryly. "But to compensate, there's a car show in town next weekend. I don't wanna go with anybody else…"

"Touché," Sam responded, changing the subject. "How long is your cousin staying?"

"I don't know," James said. "He pretty much just came in asleep. He's not gonna keep me from you, though."

"Aww," she said, pinching his cheek, "that's sweet."


	6. He's Gone!

_**chyp: **Thanx!_

* * *

Jordan lay completely still on the couch. He could not believe that the spell had actually worked. There he sat, just a few feet from his father and uncles. The only trouble was, to him, that he felt that he had to do this alone. He hadn't meant to cross paths with them just yet; even the idea of seeing them alive again might distract him too much to do what he came to do.

He slowly moved upright against the couch. Every little movement sent a searing pain through his body. Sarah's fireball had obviously done more damage than he thought, although it could have been much worse. He painfully craned his neck to check his surroundings. He heard Matthew's voice in the kitchen. He was still on the phone. He looked back to the front door. He could still hear James speaking to whoever rang the doorbell. He focused his ears carefully, trying to tune in to Wesley's whereabouts, but heard nothing. He took a deep breath and stood up, wincing from the pain. He quickly scanned the living room. He was alone, which meant that Wesley was upstairs. With a look of concentration, he closed his eyes and with much effort glimmered out of the house.

* * *

"Well," James said, slyly looking away, "that's who I am. My brothers don't have anything on me…"

"You know," Sam said, "I also think it's sweet how the three of you can get along so well."

"It's me," James said proudly. "They'd fall apart if I weren't around to keep them in line."

"Of course," Sam said as her cell phone rang. She took a quick glance at the number and slid the phone back into her pocket. "Uh oh."

"Trouble?" James asked.

"Yeah," Sam said, "at the power company. You'd think these people could handle things by themselves. I'm sorry, baby. I'll catch up with you later. And don't forget about tonight."

"Okay," James said, planting a small kiss on Sam's cheek. "I guess I'll get back to my cousin."

James momentarily lost himself as he watched Sam walk away before snapping back into reality. He wondered if Sam really did have a problem at the power company. There seemed to be so many of those "emergencies" that he couldn't help but feel that maybe she was into something else. Whatever it was, though, he had no idea. Even if he did, he still had to consider the times when the shoe was on the other foot and he was the one breaking dates. Either way, he felt, his reasons for ending a date early were far more unique than hers had to be.

He cleared his mind and closed the door, putting his mind back on the situation at hand. As he looked at the couch, though, he found himself to be in a state of confusion. The boy was no longer there. He looked around for any kind of signs of him. Perhaps he went to the bathroom or something. He quickly ruled it out; the boy had never been here and wouldn't even know where the bathroom was.

"Matt! Wes! Get in here!" he shouted as he took a seat on the couch.

"What is it?" Wesley asked, rushing down the stairs. "Demon?"

"Not this time," James answered, pointing to the vacant space next to him. "Our friend's gone."

"Gone?" Wesley repeated. "Where could he go looking as busted as he was?"

"I don't know," James said. "Matt!"

"So I guess we have to find him, huh?" Wesley asked. "Any clues?"

"Nope," James sighed. "This sucks. I have a date tonight with Sam and I can't break it. I've broken too many as it is."

"Don't worry, big brother," Wesley said, walking over and patting James on the shoulder, "you'll have time for your date."

"Matt!" James shouted.

"What?" Matthew's voice traveled back into the living room from the kitchen. "I'm on the phone!"

"Who's he talking to, I wonder?" Wesley said. "He's been on the phone a lot lately."

"Could be Kathleen," James said.

"She broke up with him on Christmas," Wesley reminded James. "He hasn't seen anyone else since, or at least not that I know of. Come to think of it, he's been a lot sneakier about stuff for the past few months."

"I think you're right," James agreed. "I thought it was because he was sick of me and you arguing, but now that you put it that way, I think there might be something going on."

"Should I investigate?" Wesley offered.

"Won't you do it anyway?" James asked. "You're the nosiest person I've ever known."

"A little knowledge never hurt anyone," Wesley responded.

"Let's take things one at a time, though," James said. "First we need to find the boy and figure out what he's up to."

"What is it?" Matthew asked as he emerged from the kitchen, stifling a smile.

"The kid's gone," Wesley said, pointing to the empty space beside James. "You didn't see him, did you?"

"Of course not," Matthew said. "I've been in the kitchen the whole time. What do you mean, he's gone?"

"We all split up and left him here to sleep," James said, "then when I came back in he wasn't here anymore."

"This is bad," Matthew said. "If he came here for our help, and he's somewhere out there, then whatever's after him won't have any trouble finding him, especially in his condition."

"We don't know who's after him, or even if he needs our help," Wesley said. "I'll go get the Book."

"Who were you talking to on the phone?" James asked in a more quiet voice so that Wesley couldn't hear. "What's been going on with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Matthew asked. "That was just my English professor, Dr. Schultz. She's setting me up to tutor some more high school kids."

"Oh," James said. "That makes sense. I didn't know you tutored."

"Yeah," Matthew answered. "I've been tutoring since the semester started. I haven't been around as much as usual. That's why."

"Well that answers the question," James said as Wesley returned with their oversized tome.

"Answers what question?" Wesley asked.

"Matt's been tutoring since January," James explained to Wesley.

"That's nice," Wesley said, plopping down onto the couch and opening the Book of Light.

"Anyway," Matthew said, changing the subject, "I think that since Jimmy was at the front door, and I was in the kitchen next to the back door, and if Homeboy didn't see him go upstairs, then we can assume that he didn't walk out of here."

"How did he get out, then?" Wesley asked.

"With everything that we've seen," Matthew thought out loud, "it could be anything. He could've glimmered out, or blinked out, or flamed out, or anything."

"If he blinked or flamed or whatever," James said, "then that would make him evil, since those are warlock and demon things."

"And if he glimmered," Wesley added, "then he'd be a Guardian, since they're the only ones who can do it, you know, except for me, since I'm special."

"Yes, you are," Matthew said dryly. "But he looked kind of young to be a Guardian. And can't Guardians heal anyway? If he could heal himself, I doubt he'd come here looking like that."

"Unless he had no choice," James suggested. "Let's face it; anything could've brought him here, and for any number of reasons."

"So after all that, we're back at square one," Wesley said, slamming the Book shut. "There's gotta be a better way."


	7. Shocking News

_**chyp: **Thanx, you know the drill._

* * *

Jordan wandered the busy afternoon streets, open-eyed at how different everything looked from the future he had always known. As he shuffled along the sidewalk, he thought back to the happier time that in many ways was similar to this. He remembered walking around downtown, shopping with his girlfriend. He remembered seeing someone performing a sideshow every now and then, while onlookers stopped to watch. Thinking about those times only made his current situation seem that much more shocking. How could things have transformed so drastically and so quickly? He knew what he had to do, and shook his head at the enormity of the task.

First, he would have to track down a man named Benjamin Keating. To Jordan, this man was possibly the most important person of that time. His mind thought back to the future. After a few moments of mind searching, he finally remembered that Benjamin Keating was a professor of physics at Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech. The only problem now was to find him amidst so many people. From what he could remember, the two had never even met. He died long before Jordan got a chance to meet him, but he remembered hearing his name every so often. If this man was still alive, Jordan had to find him…and kill him.

He noticed the strange looks passersby gave him; his blood-soaked shirt made him stick out like a sore thumb. He stopped in front of a Starbucks and felt his stomach grumble. His mind was so focused on the task at hand that he forgot that he had to eat! He couldn't remember the last time anything went into his mouth. He turned his pockets out; they were both empty. His spirits dropped momentarily before he spotted a newsstand across the street.

Taking his mind off of his intense hunger and the pain in his shoulder, he darted through the traffic, almost getting hit by a car. Angry drivers honked at him furiously, having had to suddenly slam on their brakes. He gave them apologetic looks, but kept going until he reached the portable convenience store. The owner, an older gruff looking man with a thick mustache, saw Jordan coming and slowly stood up from his stool, already placing the approaching youth as a troublemaker. Jordan reached the run down newsstand; there were definitely none of them in his own time that looked as untechnological as this one.

"Can I help you with something?" the owner asked, carefully eyeing Jordan.

"Um," Jordan said, breathing heavily, "could I please see today's paper?"

"Dollar and a half," the old man told him, shoving a copy into Jordan's hands.

Jordan ignored the man's words and immediately scanned across the front page. As his deep blue eyes locked on the upper right corner of the page, Jordan reached into his back pocket. A wave of panic swept across his face as he realized that his pocket was empty. He went into a state of deep concentration. He closed his eyes, doing some quick mental calculations. His eyes opened very wide; if his calculations were right then…

"Oh no!" he cried out as he dropped the paper and set off down the street, leaving the owner of the newsstand there, waving his fist.

Jordan rushed the streets of downtown Atlanta until he was too tired to take another step. He pounded his fists against a brick wall. If what he saw on the front page of the newspaper was correct, then he might already be too late. He had no choice but to hurry. He took off down the streets; with no money, and with too many people around, he set off painfully on foot towards Georgia Tech.

* * *

Sam parked her white Volkswagen Beetle just in front of the power company, Georgia Electric, and calmly but quickly walked inside. She bypassed all of her coworkers and headed straight for her office. Once inside, a brilliant white light surrounded her body and she vanished from the office.

She reappeared in what appeared to be an endless hallway, where everything was immaculately white. She was no longer dressed normally; her clothes had been replaced by a long white robe that dragged freely behind her. She seemed to float, rather than walk, to a large room that revealed itself to her. She hovered over to group of beings who were covered in robes similar to her own, except they were golden and sparkling. They sat across a large panel that appeared to stretch from wall to wall. Sam bowed before the nine of them, acknowledging their power.

They were known as the Superiors. In the hierarchy of good and evil, the Superiors sat at the top of the side of good and watched over everything. They served as the advisors of Guardians. Thousands of years ago, when more primitive people walked the earth, the Superiors were there to help them adapt to their surroundings. They inconspicuously walked among them, disguised as normal humans, and subtly introduced them to various things that would be of great importance. They brought fire to the very first humans, the wheel soon after, the knowledge to fashion tools from stones, and the ability to hunt for food and provide shelter for themselves. From these rudimentary survival skills came the more sophisticated skills. Man would not have survived had it not been for the Superiors.

As humans became more aware of their surroundings, a small group of Superiors decided to introduce basic magic to them, hoping to create a better world for everyone. Instead, some of the humans eventually succumbed to evil, having used their newfound powers selfishly. The Superiors soon took back their magic and separated themselves from the humans to let them fend for themselves, but a few humans managed to keep their magic hidden. Centuries later, the forbidden magic spread through the generations, good and bad, and combined with evolution, creating the first witches, warlocks, demons, and other supernatural beings.

Wars erupted as the good magical forces fought to subdue the evil magical forces. The Superiors soon began to argue over whether or not to destroy all magical beings, which resulted in a great schism between them and left only nine on the side of good. With everything in disarray, the remaining good Superiors decided to help the good humans. They created a race of their own, infusing them with their own magical essence, and called them Guardians because their job was to watch over good witches. Now, every good witch had a Guardian assigned to them, not only to help them grow accustomed to their powers, but to guide them and help them adjust.

"I received your message," she said, looking around. "There must be something extraordinary going on, but where is everyone else?"

"Samantha," the Superior called Alpha said, "we called you here because there is something we need to discuss with you."

"As you know," the second Superior, Beta, continued, "Guardians exist solely to watch over and guide witches, neophyte or not. They are not to mix their personal lives with their professional lives."

"Yes," Sam said, blushing slightly. She bowed a little to hide her face. "What does this have to do with me?"

"We have detected a young witch," Alpha informed her. "He is outside of his time."

"But time travel happens a lot," Sam said. "Is there something special about this particular witch?"

"You must know this," the third Superior, Gamma, explained. "Guardians and witches are not, under any circumstances, to be together. There is very good reason for that. There was no precedent for it the first time it happened. As you know, that union produced one of the most powerful witches in history. For that reason, we banned future Guardians from having relationships with witches. We were afraid that another union would disrupt the cosmic balance. Therefore, any Guardians discovered with witches were to be immediately stripped of their powers; they were to become mortal."

"I know," Sam said. "That's the basic rule. Every Guardian knows it. But what is so important that you called me and me alone?"

"Samantha," a fourth Superior, Delta, said to her, "this witch that we have mentioned is half-witch and half-Guardian. We do not know why he is here, nor do we know how he got here. We _do_ know that it has something to do with you."

"I don't understand," Sam said, looking confused. "What do you mean?"


	8. More News

_Hey everyone! It's me, Wesley (the writer not the character) just wanting to wish everybody a very happy Thanxgiving! Hope y'all eat as much as I am…!_

* * *

James, Matthew, and Wesley sat around the living room coffee table, with the Book of Light in Wesley's lap. An hour had gone by and they still had no idea who the stranger was or where he had gone.

"So what are we gonna do?" James asked. "I have a date tonight with Sam."

"I have plans, too," Matthew said, eliciting looks from both his brothers. "What, I'm tutoring tonight."

"Tutoring on a Saturday night," Wesley commented. "Sounds pretty lame to me."

"Not as lame as staying home on a Saturday night to 'find your muse,'" Matthew retaliated. "How long are you gonna keep this writing thing going, anyway?"

"Until I get a best-seller," Wesley replied. "I ought to write about what we do."

"Hey," James interjected, "you can't do that."

"I know I can't do that," Wesley said, blindly flipping through the Book. "I'm just saying that."

"I told you," James said, "slow things down and let the ideas come to you."

"Sounds like good advice to me," Matthew said. "When I write my papers, I try not to force them. I give myself enough time to organize my thoughts. Which, by the way, I am pulling in straight As."

"Man, shut up," Wesley said. "You are the only person I know who actually starts working on a paper the day the professor gives it out. No wonder you're tutoring on a Saturday night."

"And I've got not one," James quipped, "but _two_ losers for brothers. Nobody's getting any action around here except me."

"Don't go there," Wesley said. "And if I remember correctly, you hardly ever get to see this girl."

"At least I'm out on the scene," James smirked.

"Can we please focus?" Matthew interrupted. "We have work to do."

"Fine," James and Wesley said in unison.

"And I get more action than both of you combined," Matthew muttered.

"This is getting us nowhere," Wesley said, slamming the Book of Light shut. "There's nothing in here, and we have no knowledge about the boy at all. I, for one, give up."

"You know better than that," Matthew said, grabbing the remote and turning the television on. "Everything happens for a reason. The reason doesn't always have to be clear. As far as I'm concerned, this is a lesson for us."

"I'm in college!" Wesley protested. "I get plenty of lessons. Four a day, actually, and five on Wednesdays."

"Put it on ESPN," James said. "I think there might be a football game on."

"Wait," Matthew said, stopping on the local news. "Let's watch this for a second."

He kept the television on channel 8, where the afternoon news broadcasted at that time. Matthew ordinarily would have changed the channel, but the mention of missing people flagged his attention for some reason. Wesley had mentioned it earlier, having read about it online. The story stuck in his head, though, and although he dismissed it before, something about the case stayed in his mind. Something seemed supernatural about the case to him. Now, the news reporter spoke live through the television from an unfamiliar place close to Lenox Mall.

"_This is Colin Cavallero reporting live in Atlanta. This tall building behind me is the Atlanta MENSA headquarters, and the sight of the twelfth disappearance in the past two weeks. Known to many as "The Smart House," the MENSA headquarters is home to many of the city's academically elite. But today, and for the past two weeks, it has been turned into a crime scene. Police remain baffled about the whole situation and have no leads for suspects or motives…_

"_Today, the twelfth person disappeared somewhere near this building, possibly inside. Police have blocked anyone from going in while they investigate. They're asking anyone with any information to please contact the Atlanta Police Department immediately…_"

"It's the MENSA headquarters?" James asked. "I didn't even know that there was one of those around here. I've never heard of it."

"For obvious reasons," Wesley noted.

"So that's the connection," Matthew concluded. "They're all in MENSA. Now, why would anyone want to target them?"

"Because they're smart," Wesley said. "That's gotta be it, right? If there's no other connection between them, then that's the only explanation."

"That doesn't seem like enough to go on," James said. "This is too much. I have a date tonight. Can't we save the missing people for tomorrow? We already have to deal with a more important issue."

"I agree with Jimmy," Wesley said. "One thing at a time. Then Jimmy can go on his precious date."

"Fine," Matthew conceded, giving in to his brothers' stares, "that'll be tomorrow's problem, but we really need to get going on this guy."

"Oh damn," Wesley said, looking at his watch. "I need to go to the library. I have to return some books."

"You're putting the library above this?" James asked.

"What about your date?" Wesley asked. "And I'll be back anyway. Gimme one of y'all's cell phones so you can find me."

"Which library are you going to?" Matthew asked.

"The one downtown," Wesley said. "It's a hell of a lot better than the one at Oxford."

"Since you're going out," Matthew said, tossing his cellular phone to Wesley, "Jimmy and I can go check out the MENSA building. Just to check it out today so we'll have more to go on tomorrow."

"Good," Wesley said. "That means I won't have to go. Be careful."


	9. He Glimmered?

_**chyp: **It's always fun to get new things, and the more expensive they are, the better!_

* * *

Traffic slowed Wesley down as he inched his way along one of the many Peachtree Streets. Atlanta was a nice enough city, he thought to himself, but he could hardly understand how people managed to get around. Atlanta was home to over thirty streets with the same name: Peachtree. There was Peachtree Road, Peachtree Drive, Peachtree Trail, Peachtree Plaza, Peachtree Street, the list just went on and on. Even James sometimes had trouble maneuvering through the city, and he had been raised there, albeit in a suburb.

Somewhat impatient, Wesley abruptly turned off of Peachtree Street onto a smaller road that he believed to be an alternate route to the Main Library. This was an unprecedented move for him; he usually only knew one way to get to any given place, and he seldom, if ever, deviated from that known path. But now he was tired and just wanted to the day to end. He liked the idea of being different from other people, but he disliked the additional responsibility that came with the job.

As he drove down the empty street, he found his way back to the Peachtree Street he had been on earlier, but now he was much further along. Pleased with himself, he slowly merged back onto the main road, after cutting off two cars. It was after he got back onto the road that he saw what caused the buildup of vehicles. Turning down the music, he saw a large group of people staring at something, or someone. Still inching down the street, he craned his neck to look. Suddenly, he saw a person, the same guy who lay in his house just hours ago, tear through the crowd and race down the sidewalk. He immediately noticed the bloodstain on the boy's shoulder and recognized him. Wesley sighed, slightly annoyed, and stopped his Ford Explorer, much to the dismay of the cars behind him. He turned his hazard lights on and started chasing after the youth.

"Hey!" he shouted as he ran after the boy. With a shoulder wound like that, the boy ran amazingly fast.

Jordan knew that voice. He turned back momentarily to see Wesley running after him. He groaned. Wesley was a track star and even at his current pace, he knew that it would not be long before Wesley caught up with him. He ran even faster, weaving through the many concerned people. Some had already taken out their cellular phones, calling for help. Holding his shoulder with a pained expression, Jordan ran around a corner and into another stream of pedestrians. Wesley was hot in pursuit. He wanted to find this guy as quickly as possible, but things certainly were not going his way.

"Excuse me, excuse me," he kept saying as he pushed through people.

He was getting closer to the blond before he turned another corner. Wesley ran behind him, turning the corner along with him. Before he could extend his hands out to hopefully freeze the culprit, he was gone. All Wesley saw was remnants of blue and white lights, causing him to blink furiously and look again. Had he just seen the boy glimmer? He walked back to his car, which took longer than usual, and ran the scene back in his head the whole way.

* * *

Matthew and James parked in the parking lot of Lenox Mall so that their intentions would not be deemed suspicious. They walked around the mall and saw the tall brown building that they had seen on the news. The building looked like a normal building, brown in color, and constructed from bricks. There was a small sign in the front of it that said "MENSA of Atlanta." Without that sign, no one outside of MENSA might never have known about the place.

The two brothers noticed the yellow police tape that spanned the length of the building. Two police cars blocked the entrance of the building, while the police officers stood outside. One officer wrote things in a small notebook and the other talked through her radio.

"How do we get in?" James asked. "Too bad Wes isn't here."

"Through the back," Matthew advised him. "There are only two cars out there. I see those two out in front of the building. I'm assuming that they're the only ones around right now."

"We should hurry up," James said, looking at his watch. "It's almost five o'clock and the sun's going down. And I have…"

"A date tonight, I get it!" Matthew finished his sentence.

"That's not what I was gonna say," James said.

"Yes, it was," Matthew said. "We'll just take a quick peek to make sure it's not demon related, then we'll leave the police to handle it. It'll take five minutes at the most."

"Alright," James said as his cell phone beeped.

"Homeboy?" Matthew asked.

"No," James said. "I gotta take this call. You go ahead and I'll meet you in a minute."

"You're kidding," Matthew said. "You're putting your girlfriend over your brother?"

"It's important," James said, showing Matthew the text message.

"Jimmy," Matthew said, "don't be stupid. The sooner you come in, the sooner you can get out. Besides, if there's anything in there, I'll need your help."

"Fine," James said, returning the phone to his pocket, "but if this message really is more important, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Whatever," Matthew said.

The two calmly walked past the front of the building, casually looking at the two officers as they strode past. Since there was no direct way to the building from the mall parking lot, they had to go in front of it, then sneak around to the back. Upon reaching the back, Matthew heard a strange noise that seemed to come from beneath him.

"You hear that?" he asked James.

"Hear what?" James asked.

"It sounded like a…a subdued scream," Matthew said. "I think it may have come from inside. Let's go."

Touching James' shoulder, Matthew activated his phasing power. Both brothers became slightly transparent, and walked through the back wall. Inside, they found that everything looked abandoned. There was a sort of eerie quietness throughout the place, but Matthew knew that he and James were not alone. The building was taller than it was wide, which meant that the headquarters was spread over many floors.

"There's a directory here," Matthew pointed out to James as he walked toward the staircase. "Let's check out the personnel office. There might be something we can go on in there."

"Like what?" James asked.

"Maybe a list of current members," Matthew suggested.

"I think the room is down that way," James pointed down the hall, "but we'd have to cross the front door. It's glass and the cops might see us."

"Clone yourself," Matthew suggested, "and go talk to the cops. See if you can get anything out of them."

"I can't hardly control myself and a clone at the same time," James protested. "Everything gets all weird. My vision goes double, my movement is…"

"Just do it," Matthew urged.

James took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Moments later he opened them. In one field of vision he saw Matthew standing next to him. In the other field of vision he saw himself in his own truck, still in the parking lot. Slowly, the clone exited the truck and approached the two police officers. Matthew had to constantly maneuver James' original body to keep it from walking into a wall.

"Excuse me," the clone James said as he approached the officers. "What's going on around here?"

"It's official police business," the female officer said. "You should stay away from here until we know what's going on."

"You mean with the disappearances?" James asked.

"You an investigator?" the male officer asked, putting his notebook away and joining the female.

"Uh, no," James replied. "Just curious, that's all."

"Well as long as you keep watching the news," the female informed him, "you'll know as much as you need to. Have a good day."

A few minutes later, Matthew noticed James take a deep breath as his clone disappeared and he became one again.

"I got nothing," James said.

"Well it wasn't a total loss," Matthew said, pointing out their location. "While you distracted them, I moved us across to the personnel room."

"Nice," James said. He flicked his finger and the door flew open. "Let's see what's in here."

The two brothers searched throughout the room, looking for anything that could be helpful. While James shuffled through the cabinets and file folders, Matthew typed away on the computer. As they searched, a strange moaning sound drifted upwards. Matthew stopped; this marked the second time he had heard a weird sound. He looked at James, who wore a perplexed look on his face. Apparently, this time he heard it as well.

"You heard that, right?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah," James answered. "What do you think it was?"

"No idea," Matthew said, "but the longer we stay in here, the more I think that this is demon related."

"I was afraid you'd say that," James said, sighing.


	10. Exchanging Information

Jordan leaned painfully against the wall of a building, exhausted. His power to glimmer came in handy, but he never had the time to fully control it. Using it required much of his energy, and in his weakened state it proved to be quite draining. He had spent the past half-hour just resting on the sidewalk. With his hand over his wound, people just passed him by, not bothering to pay any attention to him, but the constant pain he was in kept him vigilant.

When he finally felt that he could move around again, Jordan stood to his feet and examined his surroundings. He couldn't believe his luck; fate had somehow worked with him and led him to the place he had been looking for: Georgia Institute of Technology. Finally, he thought to himself, something good. Now he had to try and find Professor Benjamin Keating, but with the overwhelming size of the campus and the fact that he had no idea where to start, the task seemed daunting.

He looked at his watch; it was half past five. The sun was almost out of sight and darkness was quickly approaching. Whether or not any professors still walked around the campus at that time was something he took to chance. Thinking about Benjamin Keating turned his despair into anger. He vowed to scour the entire campus if he had to, to find this one man who held the answer to everything.

* * *

Matthew clicked the "print" button and soon had a copy of every single MENSA member living in Atlanta, including the potential candidates. It was a relatively small list, considering the number of the requirements to join the elite group.

"It's a start," Matthew said to James. "We should get going before it's too late. Tutoring, you know."

No sooner than Matthew finished his sentence, he suddenly became sucked into a premonition. He inhaled sharply as the black and white images flooded his mind. He closed his eyes and embraced the vision, knowing that he could not resist it at any rate. _A blond teenager, the same one who appeared in their house earlier that afternoon, is hurriedly going from door to door in a hall. He finds the room he is looking for and tries the door. It is locked. He checks his surroundings and, after making sure that no one else is around, throws his fists forward in a punching motion. _Matthew opened his eyes and looked carefully at the list.

"Premonition?" James asked.

"Yeah," Matthew said, scanning the paper. "Our friend was walking down some hall and used his powers to knock a door down. This list must've triggered it. The only problem is there are far too many names on here to narrow it down."

"So he's got powers," James said, smiling. "I like a good challenge."

"No time to get macho," Matthew said. "Let's get out of here."

With it almost being dark outside, James and Matthew had no trouble crossing the glass front doors and avoiding the two police officers, who were still there. Matthew phased them through the back wall and they made the walk back to James' truck. Just as they got into the truck, James' cell phone rang.

"Hey," James greeted.

"Guess who I just saw?" Wesley asked from the other side of the phone.

"Who?" James asked.

"The guy," Wesley answered.

"What guy?" James asked.

"The guy from the house," Wesley clarified. "You know, the one who dropped in on us and then disappeared."

"Where is he?" James asked.

"I don't know," Wesley said. "He got away from me. But I know he's not a demon."

"How do you know that?" James asked.

"I saw him glimmer away," Wesley said. "I think."

"He glimmered?" James asked. "That's weird. Matt just had a premonition of him using powers. From what he saw, this guy packs a punch."

"A person who has powers like that _and_ glimmers?" Wesley asked. "Something's not adding up."

"Well we'll meet you at the house," James said. "We'll fill you in."

* * *

"You're…you're _kidding_ me!" Sam cried, her eyes as wide as they could be. "This is all very unbelievable!"

"Samantha," Alpha assured her, "we are all quite surprised at the news."

"So," Sam began, "what happens now?"

"We have never experienced anything like this," Theta said. "We are split in our decision."

"How so?" Sam asked.

"Some of us wish to adhere to the rules," Gamma said, "reassign you to a different witch, and prevent you from ever seeing the Complete again."

"There are others," Eta protested, "who wish to allow intervention at this stage. Because he is from the future, and considering his parentage, we can assume that his intentions are not evil in nature, and therefore his need must be dire."

"Yet," Alpha said, "preventing him from ever being born will eliminate the threat altogether."

"Forgive me for being out of line," Sam cut in passionately, "but this is my _son_ you're talking about. If he is here from the future, he is here for a reason. You _have_ to give me a chance to make things right!"

Sam had been with the Superiors for what seemed like forever. They told her everything that they knew about this mysterious boy from the future, including the most shocking piece of information: he was the son of Sam and James. Upon hearing that, Sam nearly fainted on the spot, but managed to restrained herself. Now, her emotion changed gradually to frustration as the Superiors argued amongst themselves about the next step of action.

Of the nine Superiors, five voted to stay with the rules and prohibit seeing James ever again, knowing that that would certainly keep this event from ever happening in the first place. On the other hand, the remaining four believed it better to see the situation through, as a chance for everyone to learn and perhaps benefit from it. They argued that this young man brought with him valuable information from the future, information that not even they were able to obtain. It was worth taking action, they thought, to find out what they could from him.

"We must discuss this matter amongst ourselves further," Beta said. "You shall wait here for our decision."

Sam watched them, her mouth wide open, as they glimmered out of view in brilliant golden orbs of light. They had just changed her life, and wanted her to wait while they decided her fate. Aside from that, she could not help but feel a sense of amazement; if what they were saying was true, she had just found her soulmate. She knew that James was special, and knew that although they had been dating for a short time, there was definitely a chance for something deeper.

She never admitted it, but she practically swooned whenever she was in James' arms. Something about him made her feel more at east. With that feeling, though, came a sense of worry. She hated keeping her true identity from him, but she knew her priorities. In addition to hiding her true self from James, she had to keep her relationship with him a secret as well. It had not been easy hiding the fact from the Superiors, and now they knew everything. Consequently, her strained efforts to keep so many things from so many people caused her to spread herself thin in all areas. She was not able to help James and his brother very much without exposing her secret. She was also not able to date James as much as she wanted without giving herself away to the Superiors.

But now, she thought, she was not going to sit there and let her future be dictated by rules that she never really cared for, nor was she going to go on keeping secrets any longer. She knew that leaving would put her in a lot of trouble, but this time she had to follow her heart and do what she believed to be right. She hung her head low and glimmered out of the room, hoping for the best.


	11. The Truth About Sam

_Ha, I'm on a roll for the time being! I'm still working to get this story done in the next couple days!_

* * *

James and Matthew sat in the living room, slightly uneasy, waiting for Wesley. The clock in the room indicated that it was six thirty, just thirty minutes before seven o'clock. James worried that he would be late for his date with Sam, while Matthew secretly wondered if he would be able to make his date with Ariana. Wesley finally walked through the door, holding the books that he was supposed to have returned.

"That damn boy got me so caught up trying to chase him," he said, waving the books, "that by the time I made it to the library it was closed. They wouldn't let me in."

"You could've just dropped them in the box," Matthew suggested.

"They're doing construction," Wesley said. "I couldn't find the temporary drop box. I swear, the little things are gonna drive me crazy!"

"Well calm down," James said. "We have bigger things to deal with."

James, Matthew, and Wesley spent the next fifteen minutes exchanging information between each other. James and Matthew found out about the mysterious stranger's ability to glimmer, while Wesley learned of his weird power. After assessing the situation, they decided that whatever his intentions were, he needed to be stopped before he hurt anyone.

"I guess tonight's plans are out the window," James said, looking at his watch. "Damn! When I get my hands on this guy, he's gonna wish he never met me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," a voice said as a figure glimmered into the room. James' mouth flew open as the last person he thought he would see there materialized in front of him.

"Sam?" James asked.

"Hi," she said. "I don't have much time to explain, so just listen. I know this is a shock, but it's nothing compared to what I have to tell you."

"We'll, uh," Matthew interrupted, "give you two some privacy."

"But I wanna hear, too," Wesley whined.

"We'll be in the kitchen," Matthew said, pulling Wesley behind him, "trying to find out what our friend's up to."

"Thanks," James said, ignoring Wesley's whining.

"You better sit down," Sam said.

* * *

"She's a Guardian?" Wesley asked Matthew.

"I guess so," Matthew answered. "Jimmy'll fill us in on that later. We need to try and figure out the location of my premonition."

"Why would she keep that a secret?" Wesley muttered. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Focus!" Matthew said, smacking Wesley on the back of his head.

"Ow!" Wesley yelped, rubbing his head. "Tell me what you saw."

"Just a long hall with doors," Matthew said. "I think they were offices, but I have no idea where. I saw…a sign hanging overhead. Physics, I think it said."

"Where's your list?" Wesley asked. "It sounds like a college."

"Oh yeah," Matthew said, pulling out the paper from his pocket. Upon examining it, he saw that there was only one instance of the word "physics" on there.

"Benjamin Keating," Wesley read, "Professor of Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology. Well let's go."

"You go warm up the car," Matthew said. "I need to make a call. I have to…cancel my appointment for tutoring."

"You can't cancel this late," Wesley said. "You need to go to that. Jimmy and I can handle it."

"I," Matthew began before being cut off.

"Matt," Wesley said, "I'm not joking. I take education very seriously. Don't worry about us. We're big boys."

* * *

Wesley walked back into the living room, where Sam stood over James, who was apparently passed out on the sofa. She was fanning him, but he remained out cold.

"What happened out here?" he asked with a quizzical expression.

"He passed out," Sam replied. "I can't get him to come to."

"I can take care of that," Wesley said, smiling.

He walked over to James and started slapping him repeatedly on the cheeks. At first nothing happened, but as Wesley applied more vigor James slowly stirred awake. Wesley looked at Sam and grinned. James gradually worked himself upright on the sofa, massaging his face. It felt like something stung him.

"I don't feel good," James said.

"How do you feel?" Wesley asked, sitting on the sofa.

"Like _this_," James responded, smacking Wesley hard across his cheek.

"Ow!" Wesley yelled out for the second time. "Y'all are gonna get enough of that. Anyway, we need to get going. Matt and I know where the boy is headed, but we don't know when it's gonna go down, so we should hurry."

"Where's Matt?" James asked.

"He had to go tutoring," Wesley said. "He'll catch up after."

"Before we go," James said, "you better hear this. That boy, the one we're after, is…is…"

"Is what?" Wesley asked, looking to Sam for an answer.

"He's," Sam said slowly, "your nephew. Jimmy's his father…and…_I'm_…his mother."

"Okay," Wesley said skeptically, reaching for the phone.

"What are you doing?" James asked him.

"Calling Jerry Springer," Wesley replied. James pulled him back by the shirt. "I'm just kidding, people. Well, uh, do y'all know why he's here?"

"No," Sam said, "but it can't be for a good reason."

"Why didn't he talk to us?" Wesley asked. "I mean, he was here, but left before we could talk to him."

"He's in trouble," James said.

"Well we need to go," Wesley urged them. "You can fill me in on the drama in the car, which I'm actually looking forward to now!"

"Shut up," James said. "You drive."


	12. On The Trail

_I know this chapter is short, but bear with me while I try to get them all uploaded on here by Monday… Sigh…_

* * *

Jordan walked into the library, still clutching his shoulder tightly. He had been in so many buildings that he lost track. And then it hit him; he needed a directory. What better place than a library! He staggered inside and headed for the nearest computer. Accessing the online campus directory required a student ID and password. He cursed silently to himself before looking around. Seeing no one in his immediate vicinity, he began typing in a series of complex commands, eventually overriding the computer's security program. He typed in "Benjamin Keating" and found one result. He then searched for a campus map, making sure to note his current location as a reference. His eyes lit up as he noticed that the physics building was not too far away from the library.

"Oh my God," someone said behind him, surprising him. "Are you okay?"

Turning around, Jordan saw a woman who looked just a bit older than him. She stared intensely at the large red spot on the back of his shirt, looking obviously concerned. Jordan turned toward her, trying to hide the object of her obsession, but it was clearly too late.

"I'm…I'm fine," he said. "It's nothing, really. And I'm on my way out."

"Do you want me to call you an ambulance?" the woman asked. "It's really no trouble at all."

"No!" Jordan emphasized. "I'm okay, really. I have to go to the physics building."

"Are you a physics major?" she asked. "I am. Maybe I can help you."

"I'm looking for Professor Keating," Jordan said.

"Oh my God!" the woman exclaimed quietly. "He's my advisor. He's the greatest. He's really smart and everything and I heard that he's going to be inducted into MENSA. Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah," Jordan said uneasily. "He must really be. That's why I need to talk with him. Could you point me in the right direction? I'm a transfer student and don't really know my way."

"Oh sure," she said, walking outside with him. "Just go past that building over there and you'll see a tall brick building. That's it. Dr. Keating's office is on the second floor. I hope you feel better."

"Thanks," Jordan replied.

* * *

Wesley exited off the highway, with James and Sam in the back. He hurried toward the school, which was now visible.

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard," he said. "So you two are in for the long haul, huh?"

"None of your business," James said, holding on to the handle over the window. "Next time, I'll drive."

"We have to find him before they find out I'm here," Sam said.

"Who's 'they?'" Wesley asked.

"The Superiors," she answered. "They're my bosses and they don't know that I'm here. Longer story."

"Turn in there," James directed.

Wesley quickly turned the red Ford Explorer into a parking lot adjacent to the library, throwing Sam into James. He abruptly braked and the three jumped out of the SUV.

"Why didn't you glimmer us here?" James asked Sam. "He can't drive."

"I'm right here," Wesley said, looking around. "Anybody know where the physics building is?"

"No idea," James said.

"Are you looking for the physics building, too?" a woman who was walking by asked. "I just gave directions to another guy. Everybody's into physics these days, it seems."

"Just out of curiosity," James asked, "did you see anyone who looked hurt?"

"Oh my God!" the woman exclaimed. "That's the guy I was talking about! Do you know him? He looks really beat up. I offered to call an ambulance for him, but he said he didn't need one."

"Yeah," Wesley said, pointing to James. "He's his…boyfriend! They had a nasty falling out. You know how things go."

"Oh," the woman said, "I see. It must've been one hell of a fight."

"No," Wesley said, "it's nothing like that. You see, he…"

"Thank you," James said, grabbing Wesley. "Let's go."


	13. Wanna Fight?

_Just a few more chapters and a little bit left to write! Unfortunately (I think we all saw it coming...) this story is just too long for me to finish by tomorrow, so I'll keep throwin' chapters up even after 2007 kicks in. So to everyone who is reading this story, thank you so much, and of course, HAPPY NEW YEAR!_

* * *

Jordan tried the front door; it was unlocked, fortunately. He ran down the hall toward the stairs. He leapt up them, two at a time, until he reached the second floor. There was a long hallway with doors on either side. Above him was a large sign that read "Physics" on it. The doors all had numbers on them. Searching around him, he found a directory next to the elevator. Door number 214 belonged to the man he needed to see.

He jogged back down the hall and located the right door. Looking at the bottom of the door, he saw that there was no light coming from it. There may have been no one inside. Carefully, he turned the doorknob, but it would not move. It was locked.

At the end of the hall, James, Wesley, and Sam reached the second floor. They arrived just in time to see Jordan thrust his fists forward in a punching motion. Colorless ripples tore through the air and blasted the door open with overwhelming force.

"That's what Matt saw," James said as he and the others watched the boy enter the office. "Let's go."

Jordan gasped at what he saw. There, on top of the desk, lay Professor Keating, with a woman sitting on top of him. They both breathed heavily and sweat dripped from both their faces. The noise from the door ripping apart from its hinges surprised them both and they just sat there, confused.

"What the hell is going on?" Professor Keating asked. "Who are you?"

"That doesn't matter," Jordan said. "What matters is that you have to die."

"No!" James yelled as he and the others reached the office. "Freeze them!"

Wesley reached out and flashed his hands, tapping into his power to stop time. The two lovers on the desk stopped in movement, while Jordan stood there, watching. He glared angrily at Wesley, who only returned the expression. James slowly approached Jordan while Sam stayed close to the doorway, acting as a watchperson.

"Stay back," Jordan warned. "I'm not afraid of you!"

"You should be," James challenged.

"Jimmy!" Wesley shouted, turning to Jordan. "Look, whoever you are, we know all about you, so you need to tell us what's going on. We can help you."

"I don't _need_ your help!" Jordan yelled.

He turned to Wesley and James and threw his arms forward as he did before. The colorless waves struck them both full force and they flew out of the office, slamming hard into the wall opposite the office door. Wesley's power was nullified and the man and woman resumed movement. Sam quickly ran to tend to the two brothers, while Jordan turned back to face the man and the woman.

"You look familiar," Jordan said to the woman who sat on top of Professor Keating. Suddenly, he remembered where he had seen her. "Oh my God, it's you!"

"And you are?" she asked nonchalantly. "Obviously a witch, but you can't stop what's already happened."

"I'm too late," Jordan sighed.

"Too late for what?" Professor Keating asked as the woman looked at him darkly.

"I've found the right witch," the woman said as she disappeared in the blink of an eye. She reappeared behind the desk and pulled on her black jeans and red shirt. "The _deed_ has already been done."

"Shelina," Benjamin asked, "what are _you_ talking about? H-How did you know I'm a witch?"

"I've been looking for the right one for a long time," the woman called Shelina said. "If I am to produce the most powerful child, it's worth waiting for the right man, don't you think?"

"Shelina," Benjamin pleaded, "I don't understand. I thought our love was genuine."

"Warlock nature, honey," Shelina replied. "You understand."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the hallway lay James and Wesley, both knocked out from the force of Jordan's attack. Sam knelt over James and held her hands above his head, which struck the wall exceptionally hard. A golden light emanated from them and bathed his body in its warmth. Soon, he jerked upright, panting heavily but feeling fine.

"What happened?" he asked, confused.

"I healed you," Sam answered. "You have to get in there. I'll take care of your brother. Go!"

James rushed inside the office, where Jordan lay against the wall, having been injured. He waved his hand and Shelina and Benjamin went flying through the air, hitting the back wall with a thud.

"No," Jordan cried out weakly, "just her. She's evil."

"You have no idea," Shelina said, standing to her feet.

She threw her arm forward and an endless stream of fire spewed forth. James quickly threw his hands up and the fire was split into two smaller streams that hit the walls on either side of him. Her eyes narrowed as her focus intensified.

"A challenge," she said, "I like that."

Outside, Wesley abruptly came back into consciousness. He looked around and saw nobody but Sam, who just looked relieved that he was okay. He felt hot, as if he were standing directly in front of a fireplace. Before he could open his mouth, Sam seemed to suddenly get sick. Her face took on a pained expression, as if she were fighting something unseen. He stood up to help her, but she pushed him back.

"No!" she cried through gritted teeth. "Stay back! Tell Jimmy I love him!"

Those were the last words she spoke before disappearing in the most violent glimmer he had ever seen. There was nothing peaceful and serene about it. Jolting lights of all colors surrounded her instead of the usual white lights. Wesley stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on, before realizing why he was there at all.

He rushed back into the office, only to drop to the ground as a giant wave of fire barely missed his face. Looking ahead, he saw James and Shelina locked in a deadly match of wills. She struggled to keep her fire power strong, while he struggled to suppress it. Taking the opportunity, he flashed his hands once again. Shelina's fire stopped in midair, but this time she only looked at him with disdain.

"Fool me once," she said, "shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

With that, she blinked out of the office, leaving everyone in a state of bewilderment. Benjamin took the chance and quickly slipped his slacks and shirt back on. James walked over to Jordan, who had passed out sometime during the battle.

"I can't believe she betrayed me," Benjamin said, resting his head in his hands.

"Feel sorry for yourself later," James said, hoisting Jordan over his shoulder. "We need to get home and figure out what's going on."


	14. Guilt

"Isn't this great?" Ariana asked Matthew as she snuggled up against him.

"Marvelous," Matthew sighed, leaning further back in his chair.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, with the help of famed Italian classical singer Andrea Bocelli, successfully drew in a packed audience. Everyone swooned over Bocelli's silky yet puissant voice, which seemed to blend in perfectly with the cellos. The melodies of the performance drifted through every ear in the room, creating a heavenly euphony that soothed everyone in attendance. Everyone, that is, except for Matthew, who sat uneasily with a heavy conscience.

He felt so plagued with guilt that he never had the chance to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity, especially given the fact that he was there with someone of which he was quite fond. Knowing that his brothers were bogged down with the responsibility of fighting demons while he was gone to a symphony wore him down with every second. In addition to that, lying to his brothers for something so trivial added insult to injury.

"I'm so glad we're here tonight," Ariana whispered in Matthew's ear. "I love Bocelli!"

"Yeah," Matthew replied without emotion, "he's great."

"And to think that we're here seeing him _live_!" Ariana said sprightly. "This'll never happen again, not in our lifetime! You know how busy that man is? He goes all around the world! And he only sings for, like, famous people!"

"I know," Matthew said. "I guess we're pretty lucky."

"_Damn_ lucky!" Ariana corrected. "You know what's even luckier? Being here with you. I'm so glad that we met."

"I…" Matthew began. "I…I…I can't do this."

"You can't do what?" Ariana asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes," Matthew answered after a slight hesitation. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Wait!" Ariana said, grabbing Matthew by the arm. "What is it? Is it me?"

"No," Matthew assured her, "it's not you at all. It's something at home, a family emergency."

"Oh my God!" Ariana exclaimed, drawing attention from people around them. "Is it serious? Why didn't you say something before? I…oh! Matt! You're so sweet for trying to pretend that everything was okay when it's not!"

"That's, uh…" Matthew stammered, "I just…didn't want you to worry, but I'm sorry, I can't be here knowing that I'm needed somewhere else. I hope you understand."

"I don't understand it all," Ariana said, "but that's the good thing with couples. You don't have to, right?"

"Thanks," Matthew said, kissing Ariana on the cheek. "I'll get a cab. You stay and enjoy the show. Call you later."

* * *

Sarah Walker let loose a scream of frustration that permeated through every part of the demolished house. Amidst the rubble of what used to be the basement, she leafed through the endless confetti that was now the destroyed Book of Light. How had Jordan managed to escape from her, she wondered. No matter how he did it, she vowed, she would certainly find a way to find him and finish what she should have started. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. There had to be something that she was missing. Surely someone like her could figure out a way around this obstacle.

She thought back to Jordan's last words before she threw the fireball at him. She vaguely remembered him saying something, then disappearing in a flash of white lights. It had to have been a spell, she knew that much, but with all of the commotion of the moment, it was hard for her to hear exactly what he said. That was the most important part; without that, she had absolutely no idea where he went.

"Think," she told herself. "If I were him, where would I go? He kept talking about that family of his. Could he have…? Would he? I bet he _did_!"

It all came crashing into her. He most likely traveled back into the past to stop everything from happening. If he succeeded, then everything she had worked to obtain would be lost in an instant. That was something that she refused to let happen. She opened her hand and a pen materialized into it. She conjured a piece of paper in her other hand and began stringing words together, taking extra care so that she would end up in the right place.

* * *

Matthew stood outside of the Woodruff Arts Center, where the Atlanta Symphony and Andrea Bocelli performed, waiting on his cab to arrive. His mind finally felt at peace, knowing that he was finally going to do the right thing. Why he hadn't done it before was totally beyond him. He had always been the most rational of the group. For now, though, he needed to put it all behind him and focus on the present.

While he waited for the cab, strange sensations started to nag him in the back of his mind. Something seemed to trouble him, but he had no idea of what it was. It felt like a sixth sense, a sense that danger was on the way. It was a very slight sense that could easily have been mistaken for anything. Matthew turned his head to the right; something compelled him to look that way.

He felt something in the air. He looked around, but saw nothing. The strange sensations he picked up, though, continued to bother him. It was as if a premonition was trying to come to him, but was somehow being suppressed. He closed his eyes and concentrated, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not summon the vision at will. His focus broke as a loud honk from a taxicab snapped him back to reality. He cautiously stepped inside the vehicle, wondering what caused him to feel so strange.


	15. Poor Sam

_Alright, a new reader (or at least new reviewer!) joins the mix!_

_**CanadianHalliwell:** Thanx a lot for keepin' up with the stories! Believe it; now that you bring it up I find it hard to believe myself that it's been over 2 years since this whole thing started!_

* * *

"Her name's Shelina," Benjamin Keating explained to James, Wesley, and Jordan as he paced back and forth in the living room, "Shelina Walker. We dated for a while and I thought that things were going great, but obviously I was taken for a fool."

"People still do it at that age?" Wesley asked, trying to lighten the mood. Everyone shot him an annoyed stare. "Sorry!"

"So you're a witch," James clarified, "and she's a warlock. But you didn't know that she knew anything about you being a witch?"

"C'mon, Jimmy," Wesley said, shaking his head. "Don't get too judgmental."

"We need to get to the bottom of this," James said, pointing to Jordan, who was unconscious again on the couch. "And now that the big secret's out, I'm betting that _he_ is gonna tell us everything we need to know."

"What's your power?" Wesley asked Benjamin. "I mean, it's gotta be pretty strong for that chick to want you so bad."

"It's something called power mimicry," Benjamin explained. "It's kind of like copycat, but not as powerful. It means I can channel the powers of anyone else around me into myself."

"So you can use any of our powers right now?" Wesley asked.

"Yes," Benjamin said.

"So," James thought out loud, "if that's your power, and if she steals it, then she'd be pretty strong."

"As if she wasn't already," Wesley said, sighing. "I think this one's too much for us. We're screwed."

"And without Sam," James said softly, looking at Jordan, "we can't heal _him_."

Minutes of silence passed between the three witches as they all absorbed and processed the information that they had just exchanged with each other. In the in between moments, they all paused to look at Jordan's barely alive body, wondering what exactly he was doing here. He had been pretty cryptic thus far with everything he said, and the two brothers knew that whatever he was hiding could potentially put all of the pieces of this puzzle together.

The slight creaking of the front door interrupted the silence between the three as Matthew walked in, panting as if had run from the Arts Center. Preliminary stares went across the room, Matthew to James and Wesley, James to Matthew, Wesley to Benjamin, Benjamin to the three brothers, everyone to Jordan. Matthew swallowed his guilt and joined everyone in the living room.

"This is Matt," Wesley said to Benjamin. "He's the smart one."

* * *

Sam knelt before the nine Superiors who had summoned her back into their presence. After having discussed the situation, they reemerged to find that she had disobeyed their orders and left to help James. Now, she was at their mercy and she knew it.

"Samantha," Alpha said in a disappointed tone, "you have deliberately disobeyed our orders to wait here for our decision."

"I know," Sam said, "and I can't apologize enough. But surely you can understand why I had to leave. They aren't ready for all of this. They don't have the experience to do this. They need help in the worst way! As a Guardian, _their_ Guardian, I couldn't just stand here and let anything happen to them!"

"Your reasons may be just," Epsilon said, "but it does not change the fact that you broke our rules."

"Our decision, therefore," Beta informed her, with nods of consent from the other Superiors, "is to relieve you of your assignment. You will no longer be allowed to see or interact with the Complete."

"They will be left alone to handle their situation," Delta continued. "Considering their situation, and taking into account their lack of experience, we will allow them to retain their memories of all that has happened thus far."

"Only," Gamma continued, "until the ordeal is over. Their memories, yours as well, will be modified and none of them will have any memory of ever having met you at all, nor you them. They will be assigned a different Guardian and neither you nor the eldest brother will ever see each other again."

"But that's not fair!" Sam pleaded to the Superiors. "With all due respect, this is crazy! Just because I left to help them doesn't mean that you have to separate…"

"Our decision is final," Alpha stated powerfully, stopping Sam in mid speech. "We are not being arbitrary in this. This is the way things shall be. Any further insubordination on your part will result in complete removal of your powers, rendering you completely mortal."

Those final words hit Sam so hard she almost fell over. She had been dealt a terrible hand, with the only options ending the same way, in loss. She loved being a Guardian, even if lately her performance had been slipping. On the other hand, she had grown very close to James, and could very well see herself being with him, especially considering that this future gave them a son together.

She hung her head low and exited the presence of the nine Superiors, who only looked on in consternation. Once out of their sight, she broke down into tears, knowing that some of her happiest memories would soon be completely wiped out. That there was nothing she could do to prevent it only made her cry harder. Other Guardians passed her, hovering on top of sparkling white lights. They all felt sorry for her; Guardians possessed a certain degree of empathy, the ability to sense and sometimes feel others' emotions.


	16. Benjamin's Story

Matthew joined Benjamin and paced around the couch. James, Wesley, and Benjamin had told them everything they knew about the situation, and they were just waiting on him to analyze the situation. Usually it didn't take as long, but given the exceptional depth of this particular problem, Matthew found that the solution would not be so easy to discover this time.

"So," Matthew finally said, getting the full attention from everyone except Jordan, who still lay on the couch, "if he can channel powers, and this Shelina can make fireballs, then I think that would make for one hell of a child."

"But it's not him," James said, pointing to Jordan. "There's something missing."

"He could've come back here to warn us," Wesley suggested.

"But then why didn't he?" Matthew asked. "From what you told me, he went out looking for Benjamin, whose name was on that MENSA list, which presents another mystery."

"Huh?" Benjamin asked. "How did you know about MENSA?"

"There's a group of people missing," Matthew explained, "all of whom I suspect are members of MENSA. Jimmy and I did some investigating at the headquarters and it seemed like there were voices coming from somewhere under the place."

"Voices," Benjamin repeated, thinking carefully.

"What is it?" James asked, seeing something in Benjamin's expression.

"I really can't believe how I missed it all," Benjamin replied, dumbstruck. "Do you know anything about Akum Warlocks?"

"A-whats?" Wesley asked.

"They're a rare breed of warlocks," Benjamin stated as Matthew went to retrieve the Book of Light. "I should've known from the start…"

"They're good witches gone bad," Matthew continued, returning with the oversized tome. "It says that they end up using their powers for greed and personal gain, and once they cross the line by killing someone, they become evil. It also says that this only happens once every five hundred years or so."

"Is it that time again already?" Wesley quipped.

"Why should you have known this?" Matthew asked Benjamin.

"When I'm not teaching at the university," Benjamin explained, "I'm doing research on demons and warlocks. I was looking into the whole incident at the MENSA headquarters and all of the evidence suggested an Akum. They're very manipulative, and have the ability to temporarily cloud people's judgment. I also know that they are never allowed to mate with other good witches, because the child would become a very powerful force of evil."

Wesley looked at James, who ignored him, at the mention of good witches mixing with other types of beings. Those words also made James feel slightly uncomfortable; he could not help but think about Sam and the boy lying on the couch. He realized that he didn't even know his name.

"I'd think any child of a warlock would be powerful in its own right," Matthew said.

"Think about it," Benjamin said. "A child whose parents are both good and evil potentially has access to both sides of magic. The child would grow up as an Akum, but with the added ability to harness good magic."

"So what does that have to do with the voices at the MENSA building?" James asked, trying to change the subject.

"Akums try to find as many witches as they can so they can mate," Benjamin said. "Once they're done, they usually kill them, but my research has shown that the victims' souls remain here because they can't move on until their deaths have been justified."

"He's right," Matthew confirmed. "It's in the Book, more or less. You must be pretty smart to have figured all this out on your own."

"I wasn't on my own," Benjamin said. "Not many people know this, but MENSA is not only home to some of the most intelligent people, but home to some of the most intelligent witches as well. It's a well kept secret."

"Are you serious?" Wesley asked. "You mean the IQ thing is just a front, and that MENSA is just a big…_coven_?"

"Not necessarily," Benjamin said. "From what you've told me and what I've worked on, I can only guess that Shelina's gotten to many of the MENSA members already. The fact that she was…with me…suggests that she hasn't been able to get pregnant yet. It's hard for them to conceive."

"I think our friend here," Matthew said, pointing to Jordan, "may provide us with some more information that could really help us out here."

"But Sam's not here," Wesley said. "She got…pulled away or something. She told me to tell you that she loves you, Jimmy. Then she just disappeared."

"What?" James asked. "What do you mean she disappeared? Isn't that what glimmering is?"

"I've never seen it done that way before," Wesley said. "It looked…violent, like she was being pulled against her will."

"And you just let it happen?" James asked, a little more angry now.

"Stop," Matthew said, stepping between James and Wesley. "This isn't Homeboy's fault. And we need to keep focus here. We need…wait! That's it!"

"What's it?" James and Wesley both asked.

"Benjamin might be able to channel the Guardian half of this guy and heal him," Matthew suggested.

"Is that possible?" James asked.

"It's the only chance we've got," Benjamin said, walking over to where Jordan slept.

The three brothers crowded around him as he took a deep breath. He held his hands over Jordan's body and concentrated, calling forth Jordan's latent powers and channeling them into his own body. Seconds later, Benjamin's eyes clouded over as a golden spark ignited a warm glow that began to emanate from his hands. The brothers watched as the blood and the wounds slowly faded away into nothingness, and the color returned to Jordan's face. Suddenly, Jordan jerked upright, inhaling sharply but with no signs of pain at all. Benjamin's eyes then recolored themselves, returning to the usual gray.

"Welcome back…_son_," James said, pulling Jordan upright on the couch.

"I…you…uh…" Jordan stammered, trying to cover for himself. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't have to hide who you are from us," Wesley said. "I told you before, we know who you are."

"Nephew," Matthew added.


	17. Jordan's Story

A wave of panic spread across Jordan's face. If they knew who he was, that meant that they were in great danger. He had already risked everything to go back in time to save them. The last thing he needed was for them to insist on helping him. They had no idea of the threat they faced. It was the same threat that had managed to kill them in the future. Jordan refused to let the future repeat itself, especially in the past. Without warning, his body covered itself in blue and white lights and he began to glimmer away from his family.

"Freeze him!" Matthew yelled to Wesley.

"It won't work," Wesley replied. "He's family. _You_ do something!"

"Like what?" Matthew asked.

James, not knowing anything else to do, called on his telekinetic powers. He made a "come here" gesture with his hand and the group of lights immediately attracted themselves to him, as if pulled by a magnet. The blue and white lights disappeared as Jordan fell back onto the couch, shaking his head vigorously. He looked at James, who returned an emotionless expression. Turning around, he looked at Matthew and Wesley, who only looked on in disbelief.

"What the hell was that?" Wesley asked.

"I just did the first thing I could think to do," James said.

"I always hated when you did that," Jordan said, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Look," James said, standing up beside Jordan, "you had to have come here for a reason, and I'm guessing that that reason probably involves the three of us, so you need to tell us exactly what's going on."

"You're safe here," Matthew assured him. "We just want to help."

An uncomfortable silence followed while Jordan tried to rationalize why he shouldn't get them involved in this. If he came here to right a wrong and failed, then what other choice did he have than to let them help? He decided to tell them.

"My name is Jordan White," Jordan finally said. "I came back into time to stop something from happening."

"Why didn't you tell us this from the beginning?" Matthew asked. "You would've saved us a lot of trouble."

"Because I didn't want anyone to know anything about this," Jordan answered sheepishly.

"But that doesn't make any sense," James said. "You could've come to us."

"You just don't understand!" Jordan shouted, eliciting a visibly annoyed look from Wesley.

"He's obviously got your stubbornness," Wesley muttered to James.

"Why don't you help us try and understand," James said in a quieter voice, still trying to come to terms with the fact that this was his future son.

"In my time," Jordan began uneasily, "something terrible happened. When I started going to high school, I got involved with this girl who turned out to be not so good."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Well," Jordan answered, "I found out she was evil."

"Hmph," Wesley said, looking to James. "Looks like the apple doesn't fall too far from the forbidden tree."

"Don't start," James shot back angrily.

"Ha," Jordan smirked. "Just like when I was little. Dad and Uncle Wes never got along."

"Save that for another time," Matthew said, keeping focus. "This girlfriend of yours, she wouldn't happen to be the child of an Akum, would she?"

"Yeah," Jordan said. "Her name is Sarah Walker. Turns out she only wanted to use me to get to my family."

"Wait," Wesley interrupted. "I mean, surely she couldn't have been as bad as you making if sound. Weren't we able to stop it, my brothers and me, I mean?"

"No," Jordan said painfully, tears forming in his eyes, "there wasn't anyone left to stop her."

James, Matthew, and Wesley all caught each others' eyes, each brother thinking the same thing. They finally realized why Jordan wanted to keep them out of this whole ordeal. He had already gone through the traumatic experience of losing his family once. To have to relive that would be unthinkable. Still, they couldn't help but to feel overwhelmed by the fact that they would eventually be killed by demons, and much earlier than they expected at that. It made them feel powerless, helpless, and slightly afraid. James noticed the pained look in Jordan's eyes and put his hand on his future son's shoulder.

"I know this is hard," James urged, "but try and tell us."

"Before I realized what was happening," Jordan began after taking a long pause, "it was too late. She used her powers on me and all I could do was think about her."

"Her power of seduction," Benjamin said.

"Right," Jordan continued slowly. "She's evil, but she was able to use good magic, and she used a spell that cloaked her power from y'all. That's how she got so close. She was even able to fool the Book into thinking she wasn't evil."

"Is that possible?" Wesley asked Matthew.

"I don't know," Matthew shrugged, "I guess."

"There was a fight," Jordan continued, "but with her powers she took advantage of everyone. She tricked me into helping her. We made a deflection replicating potion that let her deflect your powers. It's all kind of a blur, but when I could think clearly again…"

"You mean to tell me that she took us all out?" Wesley asked.

"Yes," Jordan said. "The only reason I didn't die was because she cared enough to spare me. She said that I could never compete with her alone anyway, so it didn't matter whether or not I was alive."

"That's mean," Wesley said.

"So you used that opportunity to come back to the past?" Matthew asked. "I mean present, or…well you know what I mean."

"It was just by luck," Jordan said. "I tried to stop her with my powers, but they just weren't strong enough."

"What _are_ your powers?" James asked.

"I don't know the exact name," Jordan said, "but it's kind of like telekinetic waves. I call them sonic booms. They come from your side…dad."

"Oh," James said. He felt strange being called 'dad,' especially by someone who only looked a few years younger than him.

"I can also glimmer," Jordan said, "but it's a work in progress."

"I second that one," Wesley said. "I can't do it on my own at all."

"Really?" Jordan asked in disbelief. "In the future, who do you think taught me how to do it?"

"Who," Wesley asked, "me?"

"Of course, Uncle Wes," Jordan said, smiling. "You're so cool about it, too. You even do these awesome tricks where…"

"Excuse me!" Matthew called out. "We can reminisce later."

"Sorry," Jordan said. "I guess I got caught up with being back here with my family."

"Speaking of family," James said, "do you have any siblings?"

"Or cousins?" Wesley added.

"Or aunts?" Matthew added curiously, quickly losing focus.

"I don't think he can tell you that," Benjamin said. "Too much knowledge is a dangerous thing. Anyway, what were you hoping to do by coming back to this time?"

"Right," Matthew said. "We're trying to save our future asses here."

"The only reason any of this happened," Jordan explained while pointing to Benjamin, "was because of _you_! _You're_ responsible for everything!"

"Are you saying…" Matthew began.

"This Sarah," Benjamin concluded, putting all the pieces together, "is my daughter?"

"Which means that Shelina must've already conceived," Wesley said.

"The spell that brought me back here brought me too late," Jordan said. "I thought that if I came back early enough to kill Benjamin Keating, then everything would be okay."

"Hold on," James said, standing up and raising his voice. "You're saying that you came back here to _kill_ a person, a _good_ person!?"

"It's the only way," Jordan claimed.

"Not necessarily," Benjamin said. "Killing me would only have prolonged it, not prevented it. I hate to disappoint you."

"Well this all makes sense now," Matthew said. "Our only problem now is to find Shelina and vanquish her."

"That's not so easy," Benjamin said. "You need some of her blood to make a vanquishing potion. Besides that, once an Akum conceives, they become even more powerful because they're able to channel the powers of their unborn children. The good news is that they gestate for years, I believe it's about three years."

"Three years!?" James and Wesley cried in unison.

"So," Matthew thought aloud, "we need to find Shelina, get some of her blood, make a vanquishing potion, and vanquish her. Is that all, Benjamin?"

"As far as I know," Benjamin replied.

"Good," Wesley said, looking closely at the page in the Book on Akum warlocks, "because there are a lot of things that we need, and a lot of preparation."


	18. A Secret Phone Call

Shelina sat in a dark corner, in a dark area that appeared to exist solely in darkness. It was a part of a large expanse known as the Underworld. Stretching endlessly in all directions, random torches and the occasional fireball provided the only sources of light. The entire Underworld was composed of a myriad of caves and tunnels, creating a labyrinth of mystery. Only the most powerful demons and warlocks were able to navigate throughout the Underworld, while the weaker underlings were forced to rely on their directional skills.

Countless chambers were dispersed through this nether region, inhabited by various beings of evil. For any force of good to reach this place was truly a risk; the presence of anything other than evil alerted any demons that were in the vicinity. Furthermore, once in the Underworld, good witches' powers were weakened and in extreme cases, unreliable.

In her own small chamber, Shelina sat and rubbed her belly, content that she had finally conceived. Despite the fact that barely a day had passed, she could already feel a small essence, squirming across her stomach as if it were a swimming pool. From the outside, a small lump could be seen traversing her abdomen, an abnormal growth searching for something. She relaxed and enjoyed the feeling, preparing herself for the next three years of pregnancy.

From the corner of her eye, a sparkle of light caught her attention. Immediately on her feet, she faced the distraction. A swirl of white light grew in size and strength, eventually blinding Shelina. When she opened her eyes, the light had subsided, but a young woman stood there instead. She was beautiful. She reminded Shelina of herself; long sable hair and an unmistakable complexion. She looked young, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years of age at the most.

"Who are you?" Shelina asked cautiously. "How did you find me?"

"There's no reason to be afraid," the woman assured Shelina, stepping closer.

"Don't come any closer!" Shelina snapped, quickly producing a swirling mass of fire in her hand and throwing it at the young woman.

The fire struck the woman head on, and she was thrown into the stone wall behind her. She held her composure and faced Shelina. There was something about the way the young woman stared back at her, something familiar.

"How did you survive that?" she asked the stranger.

"Because you'd never hurt your own daughter," the woman answered, smiling.

Shelina only gazed back, taken by surprise. Without any words passing from either of them, they shared a deep conversation. Shelina looked deeply into Sarah's chocolate colored eyes as she ran her hands across her stomach. Sarah smiled and nodded back, confirming what Shelina was thinking. Then Shelina's eyes widened and brightened as everything fell into place in her head. There, standing in front of her, was the fruit of her labor.

"It's me, mother," Sarah said, walking to Shelina and embracing her deeply.

"But I don't understand," Shelina said, elated but also confused. "I just…and you're…"

"Don't try to understand it all," Sarah said, holding her mother's hand. "Just trust me. I'm here to help you. You're in great danger."

"Danger?" Shelina asked. "From what? There's nothing else to worry about. You're already conceived."

"Mother," Sarah explained, "I'm from the future. It's kind of a long story, but the point is that you're in danger here, we both are."

* * *

"How's the cooking going?" James asked Wesley, who was huddled over the kitchen stove and looking as if he could vomit at any given moment.

"Why did y'all stick me with this?" Wesley asked.

"Because you're the best cook," James answered. "Besides, Matt's in the living room talking to Benjamin and finding out everything he can. Jordan and I have been all around town looking for the rest of the ingredients you need."

"Did you get them?" Wesley asked. "I need to add the…what is it…hemlock root…while this other stanky stuff is still boiling."

"It's all in here," James said, setting a large paper bag on the empty counter next to the stove. "Try to finish quick, because we need to come up with a plan of action."

"It's gonna take as long as it's gonna take," Wesley said. "Meanwhile, how's everything between you and your son? I mean, how are you handling it?"

"It's…definitely strange," James sighed. "I can't believe I even _have_ a son. He's sitting in there, _my _son. We even look alike. We have the same color hair and eyes."

"You sound pretty excited," Wesley observed as he cautiously stirred the hemlock root into the boiling concoction. "I gotta tell you, it does give you something nice to look forward to besides fighting demons all the time."

"Yeah," James said, smiling euphorically for a moment before changing his expression. "I can't help but think about Sam, though. Wherever she is, she's in big trouble."

"I know," Wesley said, "but we don't have the luxury of being able to handle too many things at once. I think the sooner we can do this, the sooner we can find Sam."

Before James even had a chance to say anything, the telephone rang. James went to answer it while Wesley re-buried his head into the Book of Light. The instructions for this specific vanquishing potion were very precise and complex, so much so that the slightest miscalculation would render the product useless. Having already added the hemlock root, a dull yellowish tangle of roots, he searched through the paper bag for the next ingredient to be added, beeswax.

Breaking a small chunk of it off, Wesley carefully dropped it into the boiling mixture and immediately turned off the fire. The next set of ingredients was not to be added until the potion was room temperature. The very last item on the list was a sample of the victim's blood, three drops to be exact. If the directions had been followed, adding the blood would result in a small explosion contained inside the pot.

"Matt!" James yelled, surprising Wesley, who almost wasted extra hemlock root into the potions. "Phone!"

"Got it!" Matthew's voice called from outside the kitchen.

"Keep working on that potion," James told Wesley. "I'm going back in the living room with my son."

"Rub it in," Wesley muttered.

James reentered the living room, where Jordan sat on the sofa, watching Benjamin carefully. Although the two of them somewhat worked out their differences earlier, Jordan still harbored some resentment towards him. Thankfully James was back, ending the awkwardness of being left alone with Benjamin.

"Wes is still working on the potion," James informed the two of them. "Hopefully it shouldn't take too much longer, and we can steal some of Shelina's blood before it's finished."

"Good," Benjamin said.

"Wait a minute," Jordan interrupted, looking at Benjamin. "Whoever said _you_ could go? She'd recognize you instantly."

"I think she'd recognize _both_ of y'all," James corrected his son. "Y'all should both stay here until we get back. Besides, I think it's better if my brothers and I go anyway. We're stronger."

"I'm just as strong," Jordan countered. "I'm your son."

"Which is why you'd be better off here," James said. "You can keep everything in order here. We'll only be gone a minute."

"Man, that sucks," Jordan murmured.

"Are you sure you can find her?" Benjamin asked. "I told you that Akums are very elusive. She'll be next to impossible to find."

* * *

"How are you?" Matthew asked on the phone, making sure no one was within range to hear.

"Great," Ariana said cheerfully. "I'm so sorry you missed the rest of the concert. I had to call and make sure that everything was alright with your family."

"Thanks," Matthew said. "We're…better. There are a lot of things that need to be taken care of around here. I can't really go into it right now. I hope you understand."

"Of course," Ariana answered. "I was just calling to check on you and your family. Oh! Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Not really," Matthew said as a loud bang resounded through the house, followed by a muffled scream. "Well, maybe a little bit."

"Oh my God!" Ariana exclaimed through the phone loudly, hitting Matthew's eardrums. "What was that?"

"Uh," Matthew stammered, "nothing. I just dropped a glass on the floor. I'm sorry, I really have to go now. I'll call you later and you can tell me everything about the concert. We'll have a rain check."


	19. Enter Chyp

Everyone ran into the kitchen where Wesley lay on the floor in front of the stove, drenched in a dark red liquid and looking very unamused. Jordan stifled a chuckle, while James went to help his youngest brother up.

"What the hell happened in here?" Matthew asked, not knowing whether to be concerned or to laugh.

"I thought that this crap would make a small bang only when I put the blood in," Wesley moaned while James lifted him to his feet. "Right when I threw in the sage, there was this huge explosion, and it kinda caught me off guard."

"So the potion's okay?" Benjamin asked.

"Yeah," Wesley replied nonchalantly, "but I'm fine, too. Thanks for asking."

"Knock it off," James said. "You almost done in here?"

"Just about," Wesley said. "It just needs to cool down to room temp, then add a few more things and finally the blood."

"Good," James said, turning to Matthew. "Find out anything useful?"

"Yeah," Matthew said. "We'll scry for her, since she's so elusive. And with Benjamin here, it should work perfectly since they have a direct connection."

"Alright," James said. "So we find her, get some blood, and get the hell out. Got it?"

"What do we do after getting the blood?" Wesley asked sarcastically. "There were so many instructions I couldn't keep up."

"Funny," James said.

"What do we do if somebody gets hurt?" Wesley asked.

"I think I can help with that," a voice called out ubiquitously.

The five witches turned around just in time to see a figure glimmering into existence behind them. It was a young man who appeared to be no older than Jordan, and stood about Wesley's height. He sported full head of dark brown hair that extended down to his shoulders. He stared back at everyone with his deep brown eyes.

"You're not _Matt's_ son, are you?" Wesley asked, rolling his eyes.

"Hardly," the young boy answered. "I'm Chyp, your new Guardian."

"Oh, c'mon," Matthew sighed. "At this rate, we're going through Guardians like napkins. And on top of that, they sent us a _kid_!"

"I've actually been a Guardian for quite some time," Chyp responded. "I'm a lot older than I look. However, that's beside the point. I've come to help you with your latest mission. I've already been briefed on your plans."

"Briefed?" James asked. "By who?"

"By _whom_," Chyp corrected. "And to answer that, by the Superiors."

"The Guardians' bosses," Wesley clarified.

"I assure you," Chyp said, "that there will be ample time to discuss everything later, but time is of the essence here. The longer we wait to find the Akum, the more difficult it's going to be to locate her."

* * *

"Wow," Shelina said in surprise after hearing her daughter from the future, Sarah, explain to her various things about the future. "You even kill the Complete? You must be pretty powerful to have done that!"

"I'm not one to be modest," Sarah said, grinning. "I have you to thank for it, though. You did a great job in raising me, or…_will_ do a great job. Only if we hurry."

Sarah continued to fill her mother in on Jordan and the Complete. She told her all about her last confrontation with the son of the oldest brother, about how she had come so close to finally obtaining the infamous Book of Light to have it destroyed right in front of her. She talked about her mock relationship with Jordan and how it was only to get close enough to kill the witches. Shelina found the entire story fascinating, all except for the part concerning her own death.

"Which is another reason why I'm here," Sarah explained to her mother. "In my time, when the witches finally figure out what's going on, they manage to get to you before I can. I'm banking on hitting two birds with one stone by coming here."

"Good," Shelina said. "What's your plan?"

"Honestly," Sarah said, "I don't know, but we have to focus on the fact that they probably aren't expecting me to be here. We'll have to use that to our advantage…"

* * *

In their living room, Matthew cleared the large coffee table, putting all of the magazines and other ornaments either on an end table or on the floor. James, meanwhile, placed a large map on top of the table. It was visibly old and worn, but still in good condition. Their parents, Erik and Lauren, must have used it countless times before. Matthew pulled out a medium sized crystal attached to a string from his pocket. The crystal was actually a piece of clear quartz that had been shaped on one end as a pointer. That edge was quite dull from having been used for so long, but still ended in a clear point.

The brothers had only used this technique once before since becoming witches. It involved hovering the crystal over a map to locate the target of their desire. In most cases, scrying required an object related to the target. The closer the relationship to the target, the more powerful the connection would increase the power of the scrying, yielding quicker and more accurate results.

"I can't believe you still use this old map," Jordan commented as James spread the map onto the table.

"We've only used it once before," James said.

"And until Mapsco decides to donate one to us," Matthew added, "this one will do."

"Potion's ready," Wesley said, coming out of the kitchen. "Well, it just needs the blood."

"Just in time," Chyp said. "You'll need to be Complete for the best chances of this working. Let Benjamin hold the top of the string, and you three hold on right below him. Hold it over the map and…"

"We know what we're doing!" Wesley snapped. "We're competent at this."

"I am only doing my job," Chyp said, "of guiding you."

"Okay," Wesley shot back, "guide _this_."

Wesley flicked his hands at Chyp, who immediately stopped all movement. Wesley had frozen him in time. Jordan chuckled a bit, while James and Matthew paid no attention.

"Typical Uncle Wes," Jordan noted.

"Let's get on with this," Wesley said.


	20. Battle Prelude

Together with Benjamin, the Complete hovered the crystal over the map of the metroplex, letting it swing freely as they concentrated on finding Shelina, the Akum Warlock. Jordan watched as the chunk of clear material swayed back and forth on the string, traveling to random points on the map. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the crystal abruptly jerked itself free from their grasp and fell onto the map, pointing at a specific location.

"Uh," Matthew said, bending down to get a clearer view of where the crystal landed, "Stone Mountain?"

"Stone Mountain?" James asked. "That's weird."

"From what I remember," Jordan said, "when I found out the truth about Sarah, she said something about her private chamber underneath some mountain. Maybe that was it, Stone Mountain."

"That's way out there," Wesley said.

"It's the only shot we've got," James said.

"…And as your Guardian," Chyp began before realizing how disoriented he was. "What happened?"

"Homeboy froze you," Matthew said, smirking. "We've got a location, so all you need to do is get us there and back."

"Are you sure you have everything you need?" Chyp asked. "Akum Warlocks are very resourceful and aren't to be trifled with."

"Chyp," James said, raising his voice slightly and producing a decorative dagger from his pocket, "look at who you're talking to. We know what we're doing. We'll go there, I'll throw her and Shorty'll freeze her while she's off her guard. Matt'll run and get a blood sample with this athame. We'll be in and out in a second."

"I'm going, too," Jordan said.

"I don't think so," James said. "You stay here with Benjamin where you'll be safe."

"But I can help," Jordan claimed.

"I said no," James said, turning to his brothers. "Y'all ready?"

"Let's get it over with," Wesley said.

Chyp rolled his eyes and hesitantly glimmered out of the living room, taking the three brothers with him. Benjamin and Jordan just stood there, staring coldly at each other. It was apparent that they disliked each other. Jordan felt that Benjamin was responsible for everything that had happened thus far, while Benjamin resented the fact that Jordan was so narrow-minded.

"I should go and check on the potion," Benjamin said, breaking the awkward silence.

"It's the least you could do," Jordan mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Benjamin asked.

"Nothing," Jordan said. "Just that this is all your fault."

"Listen, _kid_," Benjamin said, "I already told you that this isn't my fault. I was under her influence. I'd think that of all people, _you_ would be able to understand that."

Another silence passed as the two stared each other down. Jordan gritted his teeth at Benjamin's words. Deep down, he probably knew that Benjamin was right, but having inherited James' stubbornness and sense of pride, he would never admit it. Just then the doorbell rang, snapping them both out of their states of anger. Jordan went to answer it, while Benjamin walked into the kitchen.

* * *

"I know I've only been pregnant for a little while," Shelina said to Sarah, "but already you're killing me. Morning sickness, afternoon sickness, evening sickness, late night sickness, it just goes on and on."

"Sorry," Sarah said sheepishly.

Their conversation was interrupted as bright blue and white lights illuminated the chamber. Sarah and Shelina turned around to see James, Matthew, Wesley, and Chyp standing on the other side of the chamber, roughly twenty feet away. Shelina's cheery expression instantly melted away into one of pure anger. Sarah frowned slightly, keeping her eyes locked on the three brothers she had met once before. They were quite younger in this time to her, but they were still able to be defeated, maybe even more so now. She took a step back into the darkness to conceal herself from them.

"Nice place," Wesley said to hide his uneasiness as he looked around and examined his surroundings.

"How did you find me?" Shelina hissed. "You can't have my child."

"We don't want your child," James said. "Just you."


	21. Showdown At Shelina's

Without warning, he waved his right hand in a backhand motion, tapping into his telekinetic power. His power lifted Shelina off her feet and guided her toward the stone wall behind her. Before she made contact, though, Wesley flashed his hands at her. Her movement stopped and for a moment, all was silent. Matthew ran into action with the athame. Quick as a flash, he tore through her side with the ceremonial dagger, opening a large gash. He coated the dagger well with her blood, making sure that he had collected enough.

Before he could rejoin his brothers, however, Sarah stepped out of her hiding place, her dark brown eyes now ablaze with rage. Matthew could not even ask who she was before she took action. Without speaking, she thrust her hand forward and a large fireball flew from it. Having no time to react, Matthew instinctively shielded himself with his arms and hands. The flaming projectile struck him in his side and he was hurled into the air. He hit the stone wall behind his brothers with a sickening thud and fell to the floor, his body smoking.

"Oh my God!" Wesley exclaimed, running to Matthew. James, however, grabbed him by the shirt.

"You stay here," James ordered before turning to Chyp. "Go heal him and hurry. We have work to do."

"Who are you?" Wesley asked. "Another Akum?"

"You might say that," Sarah said slyly, "but for now I'm going to have to get rid of you three."

"Two against one?" James asked, cracking his knuckles. "You don't stand a chance. In case you don't know, we're…"

"I know who you are," Sarah remarked. "First things first, though."

Sarah turned to her mother and muttered something in an unrecognizable tongue. Shelina's body disappeared in a majestic flame and she reappeared, standing next to her future daughter. The large wound quickly healed itself as Shelina inhaled deeply. James and Wesley looked on in shock. Never had they seen something like that happen.

"She healed herself?" James asked.

"You gotta be kidding," Wesley said.

"Thanks honey," Shelina said, brushing herself off.

James summoned his powers again, but this time there was no effect. He suddenly remembered back to Benjamin's office when Wesley's power only worked on her once. He silently cursed to himself as he and Wesley slowly backed away.

"My turn," Shelina said.

With that, she called forth an endless stream of fire from her fingertips. James grabbed Wesley and the two of them dove onto the ground, narrowly missing getting burned. Quickly scanning the area for anything that could help, James found a group of small torches hanging from a wall. With a flick of his hand, one of the torches unmounted itself and shot toward the two warlocks. Sarah reacted by holding her hand out. The flame extinguished itself in an instant. Wesley flashed his hands desperately, hoping to freeze them. Sarah froze, but Shelina remained in motion. Her stomach glowed a dull red momentarily, and Sarah slowly began to fight through Wesley's freeze.

"How's Matt?" James yelled behind to Chyp, who was still tending to Matthew.

"He's very badly hurt," Chyp said as a golden light emanated from his hands. "I need a little more time."

"We ain't got no time!" Wesley shouted back.

"What?" James asked, confused.

"This ain't the time for a grammar check!" Wesley snapped back. "Move!"

He barely rolled out of the way of a fireball that burned the ground he had just been occupying. He hastily jumped to his feet, only to be met by Sarah, who stood mere inches from him. She kicked him in the stomach, lurching him downwards. She grabbed his midsection and tossed him clear across the chamber with her demonic strength. James was not having any better luck with Shelina. After having missed the fireball, Shelina used the opportunity to move in closer. She disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared behind him, surprising him. With a swift kick, James was jerked forward and landed face down on the ground.

"Too easy," Sarah said, brushing her hands. "Feel good to you, mother?"

"Of course," Shelina answered, turning to her daughter. "Now to finish them off right here. I can't believe we're about to kill the notorious Complete."

"Not so fast," a voice sounded.

The two female warlocks turned to see a large mass of blue and white lights hurtling right toward them. The lights subsided and Chyp appeared from them in a full body dive. He caught them both and knocked them down. Matthew, having finally been healed, gathered both of his brothers and shouted back to their new Guardian. Chyp wasted no time in disappearing again. His glimmer claimed the three brothers as well and they all vanished from the chamber, leaving Shelina and Sarah on the ground.


	22. No Time To Waste

Jordan paced back and forth in the living room, waiting on his father and uncles to glimmer back into the house. They had been gone for an unusually long amount of time. Benjamin just sat in a chair adjacent to the sofa. He tapped his foot on the floor nervously. What if something had gone wrong? What if Shelina was too much for the relatively inexperienced brothers to handle? He and Jordan thought about so many things that could go wrong that they never noticed Chyp glimmer inside along with the Complete. Only when Wesley and James collapsed to the ground did they snap back to their senses.

"Dad!" Jordan cried out, running to James.

"What happened?" Benjamin asked, jumping to his feet.

"They'll be okay," Matthew said nonchalantly. "At least they didn't get blasted by a fireball."

"What!?" Jordan yelled out.

"Long story," Matthew said, pulling the bloody athame from his jacket pocket. "We had an unexpected guest there to welcome us."

"What are you talking about?" Benjamin asked.

"Someone else was there," Chyp said. "A young girl, the Akum's daughter."

"Sarah?" Jordan asked, his voice quivering. "Sh-She's here?"

"How'd _she _get here?" Matthew asked Jordan. "I thought you were the only one who came back."

"I guess she found a way back too," Jordan said, looking disdainfully at Benjamin. Matthew and Benjamin joined Jordan and together they helped Wesley and James to the sofa where they would be more comfortable. "She _is_ half witch, after all."

"I feel like crap," Wesley complained. "I thought you healed me, Chyp."

"I did," Chyp replied, "but I cannot remove any internal pain. That has to go away on its own."

"He'll be alright," Matthew said, waving the blood covered dagger. "Anyway, we got what we went for. So now we can finish the potion."

"Good," James sighed, working his way to his feet, slowly. "Let's finish the potion."

"Oh," Jordan said, remembering something, "I forgot to tell you. Stephanie came by while y'all were gone."

"Really?" Matthew and Wesley asked simultaneously before looking at each other strangely.

"What did she want?" Wesley asked curiously.

"Um," Jordan said, averting his gaze from Matthew, "she just dropped by to say hi."

"Weird," Wesley said, looking upwards. "I guess she's back to her senses."

"It can wait," James said, pulling Wesley to his feet. "We have work to do."

"Since when did you become such a party pooper?" Wesley asked.

* * *

Inside Shelina's chamber, the evil mother and daughter regained themselves, brushing dust off of their bodies. Both were boiling mad; their eyes glowed a fierce shade of crimson, reflecting their intense state of anger. Sarah was especially upset. Even after taking the brothers by surprise, they still managed to get away from her. Not one to let her emotions cloud her judgment, she took a deep breath and calmed down.

"They got away!" Shelina shouted. "We have to do something!"

"First of all, mother," Sarah stated, holding her mother's arm, "you need to calm down. If you taught me anything, it's that you can't be ruled by emotions."

"_I_ said that?" Shelina asked.

"Yes," Sarah answered.

Sarah coached her mother in breathing slowly and deeply. As Shelina had taught her in the future, Sarah told her mother to close her eyes and imagine something pleasant as she counted to ten. While she exhaled, Sarah prompted her to clear her mind, letting only the air of the moment pass through her body. Three deep breaths later, Shelina found herself calm and composed. She smiled at her daughter as she gently stroked Sarah's long hair.

"You're really something," Shelina said to her daughter. "I'm glad you're here."

"Mother!" Sarah said, slightly blushing. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Oh, c'mon," Shelina said. "That's what mothers do. Anyway, let's get some focus here. The witches got away from us. Why didn't they try to kill us right here?"

"One of them had an athame," Sarah said. "He used it to cut you in your side."

"What happened to the cut?" Shelina asked, examining her side.

"I healed you," Sarah said, rubbing her mother's belly, "or rather _she_ healed you."

"Good to know," Shelina said.

"What bothers me," Sarah said, getting back to the main topic, "is the fact that he looked like all he wanted was your…blood…uh oh."

"What 'uh oh?'" Shelina asked, not following Sarah.

"In the future," Sarah explained, "they vanquished you with some potion, and I remember Jordan saying something about needed your blood to do it."

"That means…" Shelina concluded.

"We need to hurry," Sarah said.

"What about my baby?" Shelina asked, indicating her stomach. "I mean…_you_? Is it safe?"

"I healed you before," Sarah said. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Let's go."

The two of them looked at each other briefly. For that one moment, their eyes engaged in a deep conversation. Shelina silently worried about the well being of her unborn child. Sarah, on the other hand, reassured her mother that she had nothing to worry about. Their eyes locked one last time before they both instantly disappeared in the blink of an eye.


	23. History Repeats

Everyone surrounded Wesley, staring intently as he held the athame over the concoction he had been brewing earlier. It was now room temperature, just as the instructions had required. Slowly, as he tilted the dagger, the blood pooled into larger, heavier masses. Once large enough, three drops freed themselves from the athame, plunging into the liquid below, magically fusing with the rest of the ingredients. As promised, the moment the blood came into contact with the potion, a dark plume of smoke rose majestically from the pot as a loud explosion slightly rocked the room. Wesley stepped back; he had seen this one coming. With a medicine dropper, he carefully siphoned some of the magical brew out of the pot and into small glass vials, one for each of the brothers.

"Done!" he announced, holding three glass vials filled with the dark red liquid. He bowed slightly, proud of his accomplishment.

"Congratulations homeboy," Matthew said, patting Wesley roughly on the back. "You've made your first potion."

"And not a moment too soon," Benjamin said, pointing at two very angry looking women who had just blinked into the living room.

* * *

"Nice place," Shelina said, leering at the group of witches. "Too bad I have to destroy it…again."

She whirled around and shot a ball of fire from her hand. It sailed through the air and struck the sofa, incinerating it in a matter of seconds. Wesley and Jordan jumped back slightly as upholstering and cloth flew into the air while the rest of the sofa reduced itself to a pile of ashes. Shelina quickly followed suit and held out her arm. From her hands an enormous stream of fire conjured itself and destroyed two more chairs in the living room.

"Hold on!" James shouted. "Y'all can't just come in here and wreck our house! It costs too much to keep getting this stuff replaced!"

"This is just a warm up," Sarah said, her eyes now a fiery shade of crimson. "Nobody messes with my mother."

She pulled her arm back and thrust it forward with incredible force. Another fireball came from her hand and headed right towards James' head. Wesley immediately threw his hands up and the globe of fire ceased motion, hanging helplessly in midair just inches from James' face. James took over and waved his hand, using his telekinesis to reflect the fireball back at Sarah. She stepped to the side casually, allowing the projectile to neatly pass by her. It struck the wall, burning a picture of the three brothers.

"Damn it!" James yelled.

"Quick!" Matthew said to his brothers. "The potion!"

Wesley threw his glass vial at Shelina. It sailed through the air and was just about to hit her when it suddenly disintegrated as a burst of fire hit it head on. Shelina laughed evilly as she lowered her hand. She had obviously prepared for such an event. Matthew and James kept a tight grip on their potions; they didn't want the same thing to happen.

"First things first," Shelina said, blinking out of sight.

"Where'd she go?" Wesley asked, frantically looking around.

"I'm still here, honey," she said, reappearing behind Chyp, the Guardian.

She backhanded him furiously. The force of her blow sent him flying into the air and all the way across the living room. He crashed into the front door, cracking it, and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Can't have him ruining everything by healing the rest of you," Shelina said.

"No!" Jordan cried out. "It's happening again!"

"The three brothers, along with Benjamin and Jordan, were now flanked by Shelina and Sarah, who both slowly closed in on them. James refused to cower again and stepped up. With a wave of his hand, he once again called on his power, but having already used it on Shelina before, this time it had no effect.

"Damn," he mumbled to himself.

"What do we do?" Wesley asked. "Our powers don't work on them anymore."

"Not necessarily," Benjamin said. "We just need to be smart."

Benjamin concentrated quickly, tapping into his ability to use others' powers. His eyes clouded over, as they had done before, and he unleashed an intimidating fireball that struck Sarah unexpectedly. She fell backwards onto the floor. Matthew, meanwhile, ran to Shelina, his body becoming transparent. His power to phase meant that she couldn't physically touch him. He got close enough to grab her arms, prohibiting her from using her powers.

"Now, Jimmy!" he called as he held her firmly in place.

James produced his glass vial and hurled it at Shelina, who struggled in place but was held fast by Matthew. At the last possible moment, she blinked out of sight. The potion struck Matthew in the chest, melting the front of his shirt and burning the flesh on his skin. He fell to the floor, clutching his chest. As he fell, he lost grip on his vial and it rolled away from him, out of sight. Wesley ran to help him, but Shelina blinked back into view and caught him off guard. She grabbed his arm and abruptly twisted it, forcing him to turn around. She kicked him in the back, sending him crashing into Benjamin. They both landed on the coffee table, which shattered on impact.

Jordan was about to act when all of a sudden some invisible force made him jerk upright. Sarah stood behind him, her eyes now the darkest shade of black. James turned and saw her from the corner of his eye, but that was all the time Shelina needed. The last thing he saw was her high-heeled shoe racing to his face before he blacked out.

"You don't want to hurt me, do you honey?" Sarah asked Jordan. Her voice now seemed to have an eerie echo.

"I…" Jordan struggled to say, but something was clouding his mind. All he could do was think of Sarah. "No, of course not."

"I thought so," Sarah said, smiling. "Honey, I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything," the teenager replied, "anything for you."

"Is there any more of that vanquishing potion around?" Sarah asked.

"In the kitchen," Jordan answered obediently. "A big pot."

"Come with me and mother," Sarah said as they traversed the living room, stepping over the unmoving bodies of Chyp, Benjamin, Wesley, James, and Matthew. Jordan stopped abruptly just for a second after stepping over Matthew. He dropped to the floor, dazed, but then stood up again and continued walking, as if nothing had ever happened. They joined Shelina and walked into the kitchen. Shelina feigned a gasp at the sight of the large pot full of the deadly liquid. Sarah ran her hand through Jordan's blond hair and playfully pinched his ear.

"This won't do at all," Sarah said to Jordan. "Won't you be a dear and pour that nasty stuff down the drain?"

"Sure," Jordan said, immediately picking up the pot and tipping it into the sink. The liquid momentarily filled the sink before forming a small whirlpool and racing down the drain. Afterwards, he dropped the pot into the sink and turned back to Sarah, who smiled back at him.


	24. It's Over

In the demolished living room, all five people still lay motionless on the floor, barely able to breathe. Wesley slowly stirred awake to a faint rustling sound, but his vision was very blurry. A blinding swirl of lights obstructed his view. The blue and white lights danced for a second before forming the figure of someone. No longer able to stay conscious, he started to drift back into unconsciousness before he felt something warm cover his body.

"What the!" he said, jerking awake. He suddenly felt fine.

Looking around, he saw a mysterious person walking around to his brothers. Golden light emanated from the stranger's hands, restoring everyone back to health. Before he or any of the others could get a clear view of their savior, the blue and white lights blinded them and the person had disappeared, taking Chyp along.

"Look at this," Matthew said, surveying the living room. "It's beyond repair."

"At least we're still alive," James said, standing up and looking around. "Where'd Chyp go?"

"No idea," Matthew said. "Don't tell me he got scared and ran away."

"I could've sworn I saw…" Wesley began, pulling Benjamin up. "Never mind. Where's Jordan?"

"Right here, Uncle Wes," Jordan said as he, Sarah, and Shelina walked back into the living room.

"How are you all still alive?" Shelina asked.

"Don't worry about that," Matthew said.

"Too bad you don't have any more of that vanquishing potion," Sarah said, pouting. "Now you really are powerless to stop us."

"They got rid of it all?" James asked.

"I did," Jordan said, his expression now darker. "And now I'm going to get rid of _you_."

"He's under her spell," Matthew quickly informed James.

"Fight it, son!" James shouted, but it was too late.

Jordan called on his power. As he thrust his arms forward, the familiar colorless waves rippled through the air and struck all three brothers and Benjamin. They all flew backward and slid across the floor.

"We need to think of something!" Wesley said to his brothers. "I'm too young to die!"

"I can try to hold them off for as long as I can," Benjamin said, stepping in front of the brothers and staring intently at Jordan.

"Jordan!" James called out again. "You gotta snap out of it!"

"I don't think that's gonna work," Sarah said.

"Oh yeah?" Jordan asked, turning to Shelina.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the last remaining vial of potion that Matthew dropped earlier. He smashed it into Shelina's stomach, making sure that every single drop came into contact with her body. Turning quickly to Sarah, he summoned his power once again and caught her by surprise. The colorless waves struck her point blank and she hurtled through the air, flying over the brothers and landing hard on the floor.

Shelina screamed as she clutched her abdomen with both hands. The pain was unbearable. As the contents of the potion worked their way into her body, large boils began to form on her skin as it started to stretch in all directions. Sarah jumped up, clearly in pain, but put it out of her mind. With a loud shriek, she conjured the largest fireball any of the brothers had ever seen. She used all of her strength to aim it at Jordan. With both arms, she let it fly through the air. Wesley quickly shot his hands out and froze the crackling ball of fire in an instant. With an angry wave of his hand, James telekinetically forced the attack back to its sender. It hit Sarah with an unrelenting force; it proved too powerful for even her to handle. The blast was strong enough to knock her into the air. She hit the ceiling so hard that the brothers feared that the second floor might fall through. She fell to the floor, breathing in short intervals and barely moving.

Shelina, on the other hand, never stopped screaming as the strength of the potion continued to double. It seeped through her stomach and onto the fetus of what would become Sarah. After a few more moments, Shelina was hardly recognizable from the horrible disfiguration of her body due to the effects of the magical concoction. No longer to withstand the pain, her body burst into a million pieces, each piece then exploding again into smaller pieces. The process repeated itself over and over again until nothing remained of her. With Shelina now gone, everyone looked to Sarah. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw Jordan one last time before fading away and ceasing to exist.

"Now _that_ was a vanquish!" Jordan proclaimed triumphantly.

"Now you're stealing my trademarks?" Wesley asked, slightly upset that Jordan had beaten him to the punch.

"Sorry," Jordan said.

"Well," Matthew said, changing the subject, "anything else you need us to clear up for you, Benjamin?"


	25. Conclusion

_Sorry this chapter took so long. I've had all kinds of drama to deal with…school stuff, work stuff, kid stuff, and a death in the family…sometimes life just knocks you down so hard you don't wanna get back up, but get back up I have…I hope…

* * *

_

James and his brothers sat around the dining table along with Jordan and Benjamin. After having dealt with Shelina and Sarah, they all decided to rest a little before tackling the overwhelming task of cleaning up.

"Well," James said, "we did it again."

"Not _we_," Matthew said, pointing at Jordan, "_him_."

"I can't take all the credit, Uncle Matt," Jordan said bashfully.

"One thing's still bothering me," Wesley noted, scratching his chin. "Before, you told us that Sarah could control you with her power of persuasion. Why didn't it work this time?"

"I think I can answer that," Benjamin said. "I knew that if I could stay close enough to Sarah, I'd be able to channel some of her powers through me, so while she was using her persuasion powers, so was I."

"Interesting," Matthew said.

"At any rate," Benjamin said, "I really don't know how to thank you guys enough for helping me. There's no way to show how much I appreciate it."

"Money talks," Wesley mumbled under his breath. He smirked to himself, but James heard him and smacked him on the back of the head. "Oww!"

"We're just doing our job," Matthew said. "We should go and check the MENSA building to see about the trapped souls, though."

"Don't worry about that," Benjamin said, standing up. "I'll do it. Besides, I need to swing by there anyway. I'll keep in touch, and Matt, why don't you stop by MENSA sometime. You seem intelligent enough."

"Seriously?" Matthew asked. "I mean, of course I knew I was smart, but MENSA smart? I guess it makes sense."

"C'mon," Wesley said, stopping the conversation. "I'm just as smart as you, Matt. Why don't we _both_ take an IQ test and see?"

"Me too," James said, not wanting to be left out.

No one said anything for a short moment. Then everyone burst into laughter, everyone that is, except for James, who seemed to not know what was so funny. Benjamin walked around and shook each of the brothers' hands. He looked at Jordan, who looked back at him expressionless. Jordan slowly extended his hand and Benjamin met him halfway. Though neither one of them spoke a word at that time, they both knew that everything was going to be okay between them.

"We should get started cleaning up," Matthew said, standing up as well. "This mess isn't gonna clean itself."

"I saw a spell in the Book," Wesley suggested, immediately covering his head.

"What was so funny?" James asked cluelessly as they all walked Benjamin to the door.

When he left, Jordan walked over to the staircase and leaned against the rail, exhaling deeply. In the past few days, everything had happened so quickly that he never had much time to take everything in and realize what was going on. In just a few short days, Jordan had almost died, gone back in time, seen his family in their younger days, and vanquished the girl he once loved. His father and uncles joined him.

"I guess it's time for me to go," Jordan sighed. "I've done what I came back to do."

"You changed your future," Matthew said. "That's a pretty big deal."

"I'd say so," Wesley said. "Do you know what you're even going back to?"

"Hopefully a future where my family exists," Jordan said.

"Well," James said before stopping for a moment to control his emotions, "if you ever need anything, we're just a…couple decades away."

"Right," Matthew stretched out the word, staring strangely at James.

"Don't be a stranger," Wesley said, shaking Jordan's hand and pulling him into a hug.

"Tell us we said hello," Matthew said, shaking Jordan's hand firmly and patting him on the back.

"I'm uh," James said uneasily, "glad that you came here. It's been…great."

"Thanks Dad," Jordan said, hugging his father. James ruffled his hair. "I better go before you start crying. I knew you were tough, but in my future you got a lot softer for some reason."

"Is that so?" Wesley teased.

"That's one thing that's definitely gonna change," James said, inflating himself and flexing his arms. "Nothing can soften me up."

"Right, Dad," Jordan said, walking into the middle of the room. "Uncle Wes, Uncle Matt, take care."

Jordan picked up the Book of Light from the floor and turned to the page he needed. He took a deep breath and recited the spell:

"_I call upon the magical White line,  
Send me forth through space and time.  
Return me now to whence I came  
For in the past I can no longer remain."_

A burst of white light emerged from the Book and swirled around Jordan. Just as it was before, when he was traveling from the past, the light seemed to not be strong enough alone. Suddenly, a larger white light pulled itself from each of the three brothers. The three orbs of light danced around the room before combining with the smaller one, creating a powerful blast of light that claimed Jordan in an instant. The Book of Light fell to the floor as James hid his tears from his brothers.

* * *

Chyp woke up groggily. His head throbbed relentlessly and he felt physically exhausted, too exhausted to glimmer away. Yet he felt almost no pain at all. He slowly looked around and took in his surroundings. Wherever he was, it was not the brothers' house, nor was it where all the other Guardians resided. This place exuded no kind of aura at all. It wasn't evil, but it wasn't good either. It just was. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but grayness and haze. The bleakness stretched out endlessly in every direction.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention. A figure walked slowly and quietly toward him. The mysterious person was well concealed, showing no facial features whatsoever. Chyp was very confused. Why had he been brought to where he was? And who was this strange person approaching him? He did not sense anything dangerous about the person, and at the same time he could sense anything at all from the person. His innate empathetic ability seemed to be failing him.

"This is Limbo," the person said to Chyp. "It is a between place for everything."

"Limbo," Chyp repeated, thinking carefully. He had been a Guardian for quite a long time, yet had never seen Limbo. "Why are we here? Who are you? I cannot sense anything from you."

"It's the power of Limbo," the person said, revealing herself to be Sam. "I brought you here to ask a favor of you."

"The previous Guardian of the Complete," Chyp said, instantly recognizing her. "I don't understand what you need from me. The Superiors told me everything I needed to know about the brothers. As we speak now, their memories of you are being erased."

"That's my favor," Sam pleaded, her eyes glistening with hope. "You can get them to remember me."

"My power is nothing compared to the Superiors," Chyp stated. "Besides, I don't think that is such a wise thing to do."

"I know you can't actually restore their memories," Sam said, "but you can tell them about me. I'm…not allowed…to see Jimmy anymore. I can't see any of them or else I'll be stripped of my powers. Seeing Jordan, seeing _my son_, it made me realize that I am destined to do something great. It proves that what Jimmy and I have is something that is stronger than any of the Superiors."

"What does your love have to do with me?" Chyp asked.

"You can talk to the Superiors," Sam said. "Appeal to them on my behalf. I know that deep down, you understand me. Please!"

"I," Chyp began hesitantly, "I don't know what to say. This is a very difficult decision you've given me."

"I know," Sam said, "and I'm sorry for that. You have been a Guardian for longer than anyone I know, and if anyone has any sway over the Superiors, it's you."

"And that's why you brought me here," Chyp said, putting the pieces together. "No one can be tracked in Limbo, so you knew you would be out of earshot of the Superiors."

"Yes," Sam said. "I didn't know what else to do."

A very long silence passed between the two. Sam only looked at Chyp with mixed emotions. Would he agree to help her, or would he walk away? Chyp, spent the time thinking carefully about the choice he was to make. The wrong decision could potentially end his career as a Guardian and render him completely powerless and destitute. He paid no attention to Sam; his entire focus was on making a choice.

"You present a good case," Chyp said after a long time, "but after considering things, you cannot put your job as a Guardian behind a relationship with one witch, regardless of _who_ he is. You cannot put the one before the many. We serve the greater good. You know that. I do sympathize with you, Samantha, but you need to reevaluate your status as a Guardian."

Chyp gave her a compassionate look and gathered enough strength to glimmer away. He disappeared in a myriad of white lights, leaving Sam behind to think about what he said.

* * *

_And that's the end of this story…finally! I know I've strung it out for a lot longer than I should've, and for that I apologize. It will take me a while to get the next story up, but as I always say, don't forget about me!_


End file.
